


Finding Home, It's More than a House

by GoodGodHenry



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Foster Care, Hotly, Romance, hotchniss, teenage JJ, teenage penelope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-26 14:33:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 33,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10788651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoodGodHenry/pseuds/GoodGodHenry
Summary: FBI Agent and Child Advocate, Emily Prentiss becomes a foster parent to orphaned teen, JJ. She is thrust into parenting a teenager while navigating her new romantic relationship with her boss, Aaron Hotchner.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Readers, 
> 
> I have completely changed the characters situations and ages but tried to keep their personalities. This is set post Foyet / Doyle. This is a recently established Hotchner / Prentiss relationship. 
> 
> Enjoy  
> GGH

~~CM~~ 

Chapter One

“Aaron, call me back the moment you get this! DSS just called with a placement.” Emily paced around the living room as she left her boyfriend a voicemail. 

Pacing with the phone in her hand didn’t make Aaron return her call any faster. Her time would be better spent getting ready to meet Jennifer, a young girl who was 15. Based on her records, she was a good student. The social worker, Julianna, would be coming by tomorrow morning at ten o’clock to drop off her foster daughter. 

She pulled her long dark hair to the top of her head and tied it into a messy bun, glancing around the house. It was tidy, but it could use a good dusting, and she needed to prepare the guest room for Jennifer. Perhaps she preferred to be called Jenny or Jen. Was she a sophomore or a junior in high school? Is she already attending a school nearby or will she be starting a new school. And food, she didn’t have much in the fridge. The pantry held a few boxes of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese for Jack, apparently Velveeta Shells and Cheese was too high brow for the four year old. 

Teens like unhealthy snacks like Doritos and soda. Do they still like Dr Pepper, or is it Mountain Dew now? Oh God, it’s Red Bull, isn’t it, the choice of teens?

The ringing and vibrations of her mobile phone startled her. She had been standing frozen in place trying to determine where to start. 

“Aaron! Did you get my voicemail?” 

Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner’s deep voice came through the phone, “Yes, a placement. Do you know anything about the child?”

Speaking faster than normal, Emily filled in her boyfriend (and boss), “Jennifer is her name, she is 15, and lost her mother to a car accident. Julianna said that her older sister had killed herself a few years ago. There are risk factors for situational depression, and they are recommending therapy. She’s been a group home for the last three months. She is a good student. There is no history of criminal behavior. Basically, she’s a good kid in bad situation. Oh, and they are going to be here in the morning, and I need to get her room ready, and go shopping, and figure out school. I think I need to take the week off, oh Aaron, there is so much to do. Then I will need to be on desk duty, no traveling for awhile.” 

“Em.”

“Oh and grocery shopping, what kinds of food should I get? I know we can always order in pizza, all teens like…” 

Aaron interrupted her mid sentence, “Emily, I am on my way over. We will get everything ready, and if there anything we miss, I can run to the store tomorrow as well. I also know your boss, I’m sure he can be convinced to give you time off and restrict your field time.” 

“Hmmm, how ever will I convince him? He’s such a hard ass.”

“Very amusing, Prentiss!” Aaron replied dryly, “Now, what is your next concern?”. 

“And Jack, how are we going to explain this to Jack. He won’t understand what foster child means; will he?”

A rich laugh came through the phone, “We can explain it plainly enough for a four year old to understand. Do you want Jack and I to do the grocery shopping on our way or should we come straight there and make a list?”

After agreeing that Aaron and Jack would handle the groceries, Emily put fresh linens in the guest room and en suite bathroom. She ran the vacuum and dusted the plain room. She would take Jennifer to buy some items to dress up her room. 

She dragged the vacuum down the stairs of her townhouse, yelping as she bumped her knee. 

The main level was pretty simple, a living room, kitchen with eat in area, her home office, and a bathroom / laundry room combination. There were two bedrooms with en suites upstairs. It was perfect size home for a couple or small family.

Rubbing her knee and sighing, Emily thought of her foster child. Wait, a teenager. A foster teenager. She finished vacuuming the main level as Jack burst through the front door carrying a package of paper towels almost his size.

“Emily, Daddy and I gots ice cream and juice boxes!” 

The little boy dropped the paper towels as he hugged Emily’s legs. Crouching down, she gave him a big hug as his father came through the open door. 

Tall, dark, and handsome in his black suit, Aaron Hotchner entered the townhouse carrying a large brown bag in the crook of his arm, and three or four plastic grocery bags in each hand. 

Emily rushed forward to help, taking the brown bag from his arms and kissing his cheek. “Did you buy the whole store?” 

Following her into the kitchen, he dropped the bags on the counter. He returned to the front entry way to secure his gun in the hall table, inside the faux drawer that hid a gun safe. 

“Can I have a juice box, Daddy? Please, please, please?” 

They put away groceries, stopping to hand the four year old a juice, and a cheese stick.

“Your terror on the phone was quite infectious, so I bought everything a teenage might ever want.” 

Laughing, Emily held up the Hot Pockets and Pop Tarts. 

~~CM~~ 

 

Emily chopped up the leftover grilled chicken and dropped it into the mixed green salad Aaron had put together. Jack was shaking the dressing enthusiastically. They ate at round table in the kitchen. Emily kept gazing over to the fourth and empty seat trying to imagine this Jennifer sitting there. 

“Do you want us to come over tomorrow or shall we give you time to get settled?” 

“How about we play it by ear? I want her to meet you but I don’t want to overwhelm her with a new place and new people. Should we talk about this now?” Emily tilted her head towards Jack. 

Aaron smiled, “Might as well! Jack, Emily has some news.” 

She was flustered for a moment, “Yes, Jack. Tomorrow, a girl named Jennifer is going to come live here.”

“Is she your friend? Will she be my friend?” 

Oh, those little dimples, she thought, “I will meet her tomorrow. I am sure we will all be friends.” 

“Does she like Spiderman? Or Hot Wheels?” 

“I can ask her tomorrow. Do you have any other questions?” Emily asked him. 

Jack looked perplexed, his eyebrows knitting together. The boy was a smaller version of his father, mirroring the expression Aaron has when looking at new case. 

“Nope, can I go play?”

Aaron helped Jack out of the his chair, “Well, that was easy!” 

~~CM~~ 

Emily cleaned up after dinner as the Hotchner’s played in the living room. She finished loading the dishwasher and stepped into the doorway to watch her boys. 

Smiling, she saw an accomplished driven man sitting in his expensive suit pants on the floor. His sleeves were rolled up and his tie was throw over his shoulder as he built Legos with his son. 

This was the man she had been in love with for years. He was intense, serious, and devoted to everything in his life. He was single minded and focused. His son, his job, and now her.  
She still couldn’t believe they were here together. After everything that happened in the last few years. After the tragedy, lies, and deception. Aaron had survived a horrific attack by a serial killer, only to lose his wife to the same man. He had kept the team together after she had “died”, and welcomed her back ensuring Doyle would never see the light of day. 

They were three months into a serious relationship. Jack had known Miss Emily his whole life, and they grown closer after Aaron and Emily’s dates turned into family outings. She transitioned from Miss Emily to Emily in the last few weeks. Jack loved it when Emily visited them at his house; she told the best bedtime stories. 

And now, they were adding a new dynamic to their life, a foster child. 

 

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DSS stands for Department of Social Services, some towns call it Department of Health and Human Services. Please keep in mind that I know nothing about the foster care system.
> 
> Come say Hi on Tumblr: <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	2. Chapter 2

~~CM~~ 

Anxious, Emily wasn’t able to eat breakfast. Coffee and a shower led to getting dressed. A little makeup, hair down, jeans and tshirt. She thought to herself nothing intimidating, yes, this was simple and unassuming. Didn’t want to overwhelm Jennifer. 

Her phone beeped, she ran to the living room to find a text from Aaron. 

‘Relax and stop biting your nails’

Laughing, she replied, ‘stalker’

Checking her watch, there were 30 minutes left, she asked out loud, “Now, what do I do with myself?”

Emily went into the study and jumped online. Checked email, deleted spam, checked Facebook for twenty seconds before closing it, and laughed at an online comic. She glanced at the clock, well, that took up seven whole minutes. 

She opened a new browser window and looked for support groups for teens affected by tragedy, which led to ordering a few books and two ebooks. Emily headed upstairs to get her tablet so she could download the ebooks; the doorbell rang on her trip back down the stairs. 

Taking a deep breath, Emily opened the door to find Julianna and a young blonde girl. She was holding on to a small suitcase. Shaking hands with the social worker, she stepped back, inviting them in. 

Jennifer followed behind her social worker and then sat next to her on the couch. 

“Emily, this is Jennifer Jareau.”

“Hello Jennifer, I’m Emily Prentiss. It’s nice to meet you!”

This garnered a small smile from the tan blue eyed blonde. This girl could be the poster child for All American Girl. 

Julianna jumped into the business at hand, effectively ending Emily’s attempt at small talk.  
Instead, they reviewed the process and expectations of being a foster parent and child. 

Jennifer was nodding along but not really paying attention. Emily caught her gaze and rolled her eyes. The girl stifled a giggle. 

“Of course, home visits are expected. Can we review academics?” Emily asked. “Will Jennifer be attending the same school?”

Pulling files folders from her bag, Julianna spread them on the coffee table. “No, dear, her old school is on the other side of the county. She will attend North High School as a sophomore.” 

As Julianna thumbed through the files, Emily stood up. “May I get you something to drink? Coffee, Juice, Soda?” 

“No, thank you” Jennifer said in a quiet voice. 

“Coffee would be lovely, Emily. Thank you.” 

Emily poured two cups of coffee and set the coffee pot back down. She took a deep breath. Jennifer seemed bright and polite. Emily could tell she was nervous, hell, who wouldn’t be nervous in this situation . Perhaps when the paperwork was done, they could actually talk a bit. 

Grabbing the mugs, she returned to the living room. 

Since Julianna was still rifling through her papers, Emily tried to break the ice. 

“Jennifer, what classes are you interested in taking when we complete your transfer?” 

Smoothing her already smooth hair, Jennifer smiled shyly, “Um, phys. ed, literature and composition.” 

“You like working out? Any sports?”

“I like soccer.” 

Emily smiled but before she could speak, Julianna interrupted to hand her paperwork. 

“There are her transcripts and immunization records needed for enrolling her at North. And this one is the Medicaid card so you can find her a doctor. You will need to check with the doctor’s office as many don’t accept Medicaid.”

Jennifer ducked her head a bit, her cheeks flushing. 

“That shouldn’t be a problem. We will get her all set up. What else?” 

Over the next hour, they went through several more documents. Both Julianna and Emily had to sign a few forms and it was official. Jennifer was her foster child. 

“May I give Jennifer a tour of the house and show her room now?” Emily asked the social worker eagerly. 

Julianna stood up and shook Emily’s hand. She turned to Jennifer and pulled her in close for a quick hug. 

“Jennifer, you will be happy here. You have my number, please don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything. I’ll be checking in within a week or so. Emily, I’ll let myself out.”

This surprised Emily, she had expected an inspection of the house. She found herself in the entry way locking up after Julianna. 

“Well, then, okay. Jennifer, would you like a tour? Then we can sit down and chat?” 

“Okay,” 

Emily showed her around the first floor, explaining the tricky dryer door and the security system.  
The kitchen pantry made Jennifer giggle. It was a welcome sound to Emily’s ears. 

“I’ve never seen so much junk food,” declared the teen.

“Well, I had no idea what you might like so….” Emily trailed off with a laugh. 

Once in the study, Emily explained the laptop was for her work use only and Jennifer could use the desktop instead. 

The teen looked up sharply, “Wait, you are really with the FBI? I thought Julianna was trying to scare me.”

Emily pointed out the gun case on the bookshelf, “Oh no, I really am with the FBI. I am in the Behavioural Analysis Unit. There are gun safes on the lower level. There is another one upstairs in my bedroom. Don’t worry, they are secured.” 

Jennifer looked decidedly uncomfortable. “Um.” 

Laughing, Emily said, “I’m sorry I should have told when you first arrived. Sit down and talk for a bit. Let’s get a drink and snacks then you can ask as many questions as you like.”

“Cheetos? I haven’t had those in forever.”

They sat at the kitchen table with a snack bowl in between them. Jennifer had opted for a water and Emily sipped at her coffee. 

“What do you do?”

“My official title is Supervisory Special Agent. Basically, my unit investigates crimes a little differently. We consult all over the United States on complicated cases. We build profiles of criminals based on their behavior and victims. It helps us identify who they may be.” 

“So you travel around the country solving crimes? How many bad guys have you caught? I guess you have shot your gun, huh? Are you a good shot? Do you go to the shooting range? Profiling? What is that? Are you like Sherlock Holmes, making deductions?

The older woman threw her head back and laughed, “Whoa! Jennifer”

“Um, you can call me JJ.” 

“JJ, that’s nice. Let’s see, yes, I do travel all over the country. I’m going to be working from the office for the next month or so. In the future, my friend, Pam, will keep an eye on you when I am gone. She lives three doors down.” 

JJ arched her left eyebrow, “A babysitter? I am 15.”

“I was 15 once, JJ. I’m sure you are a good kid but you can’t stay home alone for days on end. We’ll figure it out, okay?”

The teen began to ramble, “Yeah, but are you like Sherlock Holmes? Have you seen that show? The BBC one with Benedict Cumberbatch? I like it better than Elementary but Johnny Lee Miller is way hotter.” 

“I think Benedict is cuter! Now, we won’t have to fight over our Sherlocks. One for you and one for me. The concept is similar in that we take in all the details when building a profile. We take into consideration the scene, the weapon, location, and victimology.”

They chatted for awhile and Emily finished the tour, showing JJ her bedroom and bathroom. 

“Why don’t you unpack? When you are done, we can make a list of all the essentials you need. Lunch and shopping in the afternoon?”

Emily returned downstairs to give JJ sometime to adjust to her new space. Pulling out her phone, she texted Aaron. 

‘She’s awesome. Taking her to lunch then shopping. DSS only let her pack a small suitcase.’

‘Glad things are going well. Shopping is a good idea.’  
~~CM~~ 

 

Emily and JJ hit several stores for clothes and shoes. They stopped in the phone store and re-activated JJ’s account so she could use her mobile phone. 

Keeping the conversation light hearted, Emily learned more about JJ. 

Her mother had recently moved them here from a small town in Pennsylvania for a fresh start. JJ wasn’t really attached to any of the other kids from her old school. She had a few acquaintances but her closest friends were back in Pennsylvania. 

Her musical taste was all over the place; Emily stopped mid stride and ask, “Really? Truly? You actually like Justin Bieber? How do you feel about One Direction?” 

They stopped in a small cafe for lunch and the conversation continued. JJ hadn’t been on a soccer team in years and said she wouldn’t mind getting back into that. 

“My boyfriend is coaching his son’s soccer team. Their league has teams in all age groups. We watch the older kids sometimes. Jack loves it. I will look into it for you.” 

“How old is Jack?” 

Emily’s face broke into a goofy smile, “He’s four and adorable. His soccer team is hysterical. It’s like herding cats. And the most important part of the experience is snacks.”

JJ laughed, “I agree, snacks are vital.” 

The ladies ended their shopping excursion after picking out school supplies. JJ was now comfortable enough to stand up to Emily, “I don’t need the entirety of the office supply section. I just need some paper and pens.” 

“Would you like to meet my boyfriend and his son? I was thinking of inviting them for dinner.”

JJ seemed uncomfortable so Emily backtracked, “You can meet them another time. Let’s finish getting you settled.

“No, I would like to meet this little soccer player.” Then she added cheekily, “As long as there are snacks.”

Stuffing the shopping bags into the trunk, they headed home. 

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is unBeta'd so all mistakes are mine.  
> Come say Hi on Tumblr: <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	3. Chapter 3

~~CM~~ 

JJ watched from the living room as Emily greeted the Hotchner’s. 

The little guy hugged Emily’s legs and the tall man gave her a quick peck on the lips. 

Smiling at JJ, imposing man in a suit called out, “Hello.” 

Jack jumped up and down as he told Emily about his day before noticing JJ. 

“Hi, my name is Jack!” He held out his tiny hand to her.

She crouched down and shook his hand, “Nice to meet you, Jack. My name is Jennifer but you can call me JJ.” 

As he continued to jabber on, JJ noticed his father opening the hallway table and pulling a gun from under his coat. He secured the gun in the hidden safe. 

“You have a gun, too? Are you guys big NRA members or something?” She asked uneasily. 

Jack was happy to fill her in, “My daddy catched bad guys. Miss Emily too n Uncle Derek n Uncle Dave.”

Aaron joined the group in the family room, and Emily introduced him to JJ. 

“This is Aaron Hotchner. He is in the FBI too.” 

Jack kept the conversation going throughout the afternoon and dinner. 

Working with Emily, clearing the table and loading the dishwasher, Aaron kept an eye on JJ with his son. He was impressed with the teenager. She was very comfortable chatting with Jack about dinosaurs and Spiderman. She was open with Emily, and guarded with him. She was bright and mature for her age.

“Are you done profiling her?” Emily asked him. 

He held his hands up in mock surrender, “The rules is we don’t profile the team, there isn’t a rule about family.” 

~~CM~~ 

After Jack and Aaron had gone home, the girls sat on the couch in front of the tv. A sitcom was on but neither was really watching.

“When would you like to start school? I was thinking Wednesday or Thursday so you won’t have to take on a full week at a new school.” 

JJ was surprised by the thoughtfulness, “I didn’t realize I had a choice. That would be great. This is my second high school in one year. It is so overwhelming. And they are so huge here.” 

Emily shuddered, recalling her experiences starting a new school every year or so. “Trust me, I know all about starting new schools. I have to tell you, I found the big schools are better when you are new. You won’t be put under a microscope.”

“That’s true! I can fly under the radar a bit.”

Emily pulled up her calendar on her phone, “Let’s get you registered on Tuesday and maybe start on Wednesday. Aaron is getting the registration for the soccer team squared away on Monday. Now, we have to find you a doctor, a therapist, a dentist, and a gynecologist.” 

“What?” JJ leaped from her seat. 

Laughing at the shocked teen, Emily patted the couch. “I know, I know, dentists are traumatizing. I wonder if they are sadists. Don’t worry, I will profile your dentist before I let them near you.” 

“Not funny, why do I need a gynecologist? I am not pregnant. And why do I have to see a therapist? This is ridiculous. I am fine.” 

Emily knew she had to tread lightly here, but she was not going to give in on something so important, “I know it seems ridiculous. You have been through so much in the last few years. You may not be depressed right now, and you may never be depressed in the future.” 

JJ looked away, Emily reached out and took her hand, “JJ, you’ve lost your mother and your sister. You have been moved several times and spent the past three months in a group home. These are things you should talk about. Let’s find someone you are comfortable talking to, someone you can be honest with.” 

JJ pulled her hand away from Emily. She squared her shoulders and looked Emily directly in the eyes. “I don’t need to talk to anyone. I am fine and I get good grades.” 

“This is important, JJ. Didn’t you go to therapy after your sister?” 

“No, she’s gone so what’s the point in talking about it?” JJ clutched her necklace as the tears welled up in her eyes but didn’t fall. 

Emily smiled softly, “Yes, she’s gone but she was your sister. She’s important. And I for one, want to know everything about her. I want to know about the necklace she gave you.” 

Startled, JJ dropped her hand. 

“I also want to know about your mother. You are such an amazing person and your mom helped shape and guide you into who you are today. Forgetting them is dishonoring them. Your family is still your family even after they pass away. You can’t avoid things because they hurt. Therapy is going to help with that. It’s not awful. I promise.” 

They sat quiet for a while as JJ gathered her thoughts. Emily wondered if she pushed too hard but she spent too many years avoiding. She didn’t want that life for JJ. 

“Okay, but if the therapist is a creeper I am not going back.” 

Emily laughed, “Yes, no creepers allowed.” Then under her breath, she stated, “Note to self, look up creeper in Urban Dictionary.”

That lightened the mood a bit, and JJ took over the remote to find another show. “You win the therapist but I am NOT going to a gynecologist.”

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say Hi on Tumblr: <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	4. Chapter 4

~~CM~~ 

JJ and Emily spent Sunday hanging around the house; organizing JJ’s room, watching tv, and cooking. Emily texted with Aaron a few times and made dinner plans for Monday night. 

She surfed the internet looking for doctors, dentists and therapists. Apparently, very few took Medicaid and accepted new patients. It was one or the other. Frustrated, she called her friend to vent. After a half hour of listening to Emily whine, Pam hung up on her. 

Pam came over within ten minutes, banging on the front door with her foot. JJ was startled, leaping from the couch. 

“That’s just Pam. She doesn’t have any manners.” Emily informed the girl as she opened the door. 

Their visitor was trying to balance a large overstuffed bag, a plate of pastries, and a stack of books. “I have manners; my hands were full. And now you don’t get any popovers for your cheek.”

Emily divested her of the plate and bag but this threw Pam off balance and the books tumbled out of her arms and onto their feet. 

“Ow, mmmpf.” Emily bounced around trying not to curse. 

JJ and Pam picked up the books from the floor and followed Emily into the kitchen. She unwrapped the food and poured a cup of coffee for Pam. 

“Want anything to drink, JJ?” 

“Just water.” 

Pam sorted the books into three stacks, “Nice to meet you, JJ. I hope Emily isn’t being an ogre to you.”

“No, no, she’s been great.” 

Passing out the popovers, Emily sat down at the counter. “What's all this?”

“I brought over some books for JJ since your bookcases are lacking.” 

“My bookcases are not lacking. Oh for God’s sake, you brought over Twilight.” 

It was like watching a tennis match, JJ’s head swiveled back and forth between the arguing women. The Twilight argument led to Vonnegut shouting match. JJ ate her popover, moaning at the light airy piece of heaven. She grabbed a second one and smiled at the scene before her. 

She was going to like it here. The group home wasn’t awful like you see in the movies and tv shows. It was boring, strict, and mechanical. You had to follow the schedule exactly and the kids weren’t overly friendly. 

Emily was nice, thoughtful, and funny. She loved her FBI boyfriend and his son; she had a good friend in Pam. Her home was comfortable; if not overly clean (not a speck of dust anywhere). She had welcomed JJ in without any judgement. She didn’t treat her like a poor little orphan. 

“JJ, have you read the Matched series? I really enjoyed them.” Pam asked.

Grabbing the first book, JJ flipped it over and read the back. “No, I haven’t read this one. And for the record, I liked Twilight.” 

Emily gasped, “Justin Bieber and Twilight. You have terrible taste.” 

Clutching at her heart, JJ laughed, “I love the characters and the plot. The writing could be better. Not everything has to be a classic. What else did you bring, Pam?” 

Discussing books, the three women filled the afternoon. JJ excused herself to curl up on the couch with the first book of Pam’s favorite series, Homecoming. 

Emily and Pam headed into the study to yell at the computer screen. JJ could hear them muttering, “there has to be an easier way,” and “oh my god, this website is so ugly.”

~~CM~~ 

“I love her, Em. She’s smart and fun.” Pam said quietly.

Emily nodded, “I know. She’s great! I was so nervous but she fits in with me. And you should have seen her with Jack yesterday.” 

“How did she get along with Hotch?”

“She was not that comfortable. I don’t think she has had any men in her life. Her father was never in the picture from the beginning. Anyway, Aaron is signing her up for soccer this week. I think that will help.” 

“So I have an idea on the doctor / insurance thing. I know you can’t add her to yours but could you add supplemental insurance? Like purchase an additional policy for her?”   
Emily pondered, “I’ll call DSS and ask in the morning. I think I want to get her into a therapist sooner than later though. I think I will pay cash for that and submit for reimbursement later.”

“That’s a good idea. Will you send her to yours?” 

Emily gave Pam a death glare. 

“You are lucky I am such a good therapist, cause I can see through your lies. You can’t snow me like you did the FBI shrink.”

“Pammy, you are wonderful but I don’t think it’s professional to refer to your colleagues as shrinks.” 

Pam laughed, “There is nothing that says I can’t make fun of others!” She pulled out her phone and searched her contacts, “Paper and pen, please. I’ll give you a list of people that are good with teens.“

~~CM~~ 

“What do you think so far?” Pam asked JJ about the novel the teen was reading as she dumped the contents of the shopping bag on couch. 

JJ sorted throw the decorative pillows and throws, “It’s weird reading something set in olden times.”

“I like this one,” Emily pulled the argyle patterned blanket from the pile, “What time period?”

“The 1970’s, I think.” 

Pam and Emily picked up pillows and chucked them at JJ. 

“Hey!” 

Picking up the damask patterned pillow she had been hit with, JJ announced, “This is it. I love teal.” 

“Good choice, this stuff will liven up your bedroom.”

“Why do you have entirety of the Bed Bath and Beyond store anyway?” JJ asked.

Pam dropped heavily on the couch, “Ooomph! I downsized from a four bedroom house last year after my nieces left for college. My sister has a shopping addiction and she re-did my nieces’ rooms every year or so. Now that they are in dorms, there isn’t room for all this stuff.“

Heading out, Pam said, “Stop by anytime, I live three doors down to the left or to the right. Wait, if you are coming from inside your house, I am....”

Emily interrupted, “For the love of, Pam, just give her your house number! Never mind, I will give her your contact info. And you could have just said, my house is the only one on the block with a purple door.” 

Indignant, Pam let herself out, calling over her shoulder, “It’s Eggplant!”

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt was my favorite book as a teen. There are a ton of other books with the characters from Homecoming. 
> 
> Come chat with me on Tumblr: <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	5. Chapter 5

~~CM~~ 

Monday morning, 6:00 am, Emily’s eyes popped open. Her body didn’t understand that she had taken the week off. She laid there for a few minutes willing herself back to sleep. Failing miserably, she got up and hit the shower. 

Make coffee, drink coffee. She was finally able to form coherent thoughts. She started a load of laundry, and emptied the dishwasher. It was 7:00 am. 

She texted Aaron, confirming dinner, and returned upstairs to get ready. 

Emily made several lists, checked email, drank two more cups of coffee and moved the wash to the dryer. It was 8:00 am and she was bored. 

Grabbing her fourth cup of coffee, she settled on the couch. She thought about JJ. The sweet girl sleeping upstairs, the girl who, in two days, changed her life. 

She sunk deeper into the couch and closed her eyes. This week was going to be nice. They would get to know each other better in a relaxed atmosphere without school or work taking up most of their attentions.

It was well after 10:00 am when JJ found her, asleep on the couch with a goofy smile on her face. 

“I was asleep? During the day, like a nap? I am Emily Prentiss, I am a workaholic and I do not nap or take it easy!” 

JJ laughed, “You were napping. You have creases on your face.”

“I don’t nap, not even on vacation.”

JJ left her on the couch talking to herself and headed into the kitchen, calling over her shoulder.“In that case, I won’t mention the drool on the corner of your mouth.” 

~~CM~~ 

Emily spent the rest of the morning on the phone with DSS, more specifically, on hold with DSS. After hours of talking to supervisors and managers, it was determined that Emily could not purchase supplemental health insurance for JJ as she was a ward of the state. One person was able to recommend a clinic that was accepting patients and took Mediaid so Emily called them right away for their first available appointment.

“I guess you better clear your schedule for EIGHT weeks from now.” A snarky Emily told JJ. 

Finally, all the appointments were made, leaving them open for the rest of the afternoon. Emily volunteered to pick up Jack after school, giving Jessica, Aaron’s sister in law, a call. 

“Emily, thank you! It’s been a Monday for sure. My computer crashed and I am trying to organize a conference call on my smart phone. I think I am going cross eyed.”

“Jess, want to come over here and work from my computer? We can even close the door so Jack doesn’t bug you. Plus, you can stay for dinner.” 

Hanging up the phone, Emily told JJ that Jessica was coming over to work and staying for dinner. 

“So is Jessica Jack’s nanny?”

Emily picked up her purse and pulled out her keys, “Grab your jacket, JJ, and I’ll explain on the way to Jack’s school.” 

JJ followed Emily on the street to her small luxury sedan, hopping into the passenger seat. 

“I haven’t filled you in on the backstory with the Hotchner’s. Aaron’s ex-wife, Haley, was murdered by a serial killer. As you can imagine, no one likes to talk about it but we do talk to Jack about his mother and how much she loved him. Jessica is her sister. So, she’s Aaron’s sister in law. She watches Jack most afternoons and anytime we go out of town. She works from home so she has a flexible schedule.” 

Stunned into silence, JJ tore her eyes off of Emily and looked out the windshield. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess and she was unable to unravel them in order to ask questions. She blinked a few times to clear the tears from her eyes. 

“A serial killer?”

“Yes, and don’t worry. He is dead.”

Sighing, JJ asked, “I know you are with the FBI and you catch bad guys but a serial killer? That’s like really dangerous.” 

“I know. My job is dangerous and we do handle serial killers. More than most other law enforcement agencies, it’s our specialty in the BAU. But I am careful and our team watches out for one another.” Emily assured the teen. 

Emily maneuvered the car into the parking lot around several double parked cars and into a space. As JJ climbed out of the car, Emily gave her a quick hug before they headed towards the school. JJ laughed as Emily threatened to arrest the other parents for motor vehicle violations. 

Muttering to herself, “You cannot park in a freaking crosswalk,” Emily swiped the magnetic card by the door, and let them into the building.

They walked down the long hallway to the very last classroom. The sign on the door cheerfully informed them that this was the Junior Kindergarten. 

“JJ! JJ! JJ!” Jack ran in circles around JJ’s legs and before grabbing her hand and pulling her along to show her his classroom. 

Mrs. James approached Emily. “So that’s JJ! He hasn’t stopped talking about her all day, Emily. She’s your daughter?” Her voice was hesitant, rising at the end of the question, noting JJ’s and Emily’s coloring was completely opposite. 

“Yes, my foster daughter.” Emily smiled at the teacher. 

Mrs. James shook her head at Jack. “He is not usually one to speak up in circle time but he couldn’t wait to tell everyone about her.” 

Across the room, JJ was sitting on the floor with Jack in her lap. They were building a tower out of blocks as they chatted with the other kids. 

They were interrupted as another parent arrived. JJ helped Jack with his backpack and coat and they met Emily at the door. 

“Emily! JJ and I are going to cook dinner tonight. She said kids are in charge now.”

“I said we should take charge of dinner tonight,” JJ reminded him. 

~~CM~~ 

Despite Aaron picking up groceries a few days ago, Emily found herself sitting in the parking lot of the grocery store. Emily texted with Jessica and Aaron as she waited. She had given JJ some cash and thick as thieves, Jack and JJ disappeared into the store. 

The kids returned with two bags, “Emily, we are going to make a restaurant.” 

“We are?”

“Yup!” Jack popped the letter P. 

JJ helped Jack into his booster seat and then got in the front. She turned in her seat so she could see both Jack and Emily. 

“Do you have crayons or markers at Emily’s house?” JJ asked Jack.

“Yup, yup, yup!” 

They arrived at the same time as Jessica, with Jack introducing his aunt to JJ. Jessica was soon sequestered in Emily’s study. Emily was ordered upstairs and sternly told not to peek. The kids were kind enough to allow her to take her work laptop upstairs. 

Music and laughter filled the downstairs as Emily dove into her emails. Two case files for review and one follow up report needed editing. She worked steadily for about two hours before Aaron texted he was on his way. 

She stood at the top of the stairs, “Jack, JJ, may I come down?”

Jack ran through the house and crashed into the stairs. “No, no! Not yet!” 

“Your Daddy will be here soon. Will you be ready then?”

He clambered up the stairs in a half run half crawl. “Emily, Imma setting the table now. You hafta wait.” 

“Okay, Jack Jack. You let me know when I can come down.” 

He disappeared down the stairs and she heard him skid across the floor in his socks crashing into something. 

“He must have bounced off,” She said out loud when she didn’t hear a cry.

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is unbeta'd, all mistakes are mine.
> 
> Come chat with me on Tumblr: <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 was posted twice so I have corrected this: Behold CHAPTER 6! 
> 
> Whew!

~~CM~~ 

Aaron arrived and had enough time to put his gun in the drawer safe, before he was tackle hugged by Jack. His son chattered away, filling him in as he led his father to the table. 

The table was set for five with water glasses filled to the brim. A menu sat in the middle of the table, it was drawn with crayons with all the words slanted down and to the right. “JJ and I made a restaurant. You sit here. I gonna get Aunt Jessie and Emily.”

Laughing at his son, he watched him burst through the study door. He led Jessica to the table, and then retrieve Emily from her upstairs prison. 

“Sit. sit.” 

Jack went into the kitchen and asked JJ, “They are sitting, now what?” 

She whispered in his ear and he ran back to the table and grabbed the menu handing it to Jessica. “You have to order a snack now. It’s called appy-ties-er. ” 

“Oh my, Jack’s Diner! This is fancy.” She opened the menu, “Yes, I see here that you have appetizers.” Jessica looked around the table at Aaron and Emily, “Would you mind if I ordered for the table?”

“Please do,” nodded Aaron.

She turned to Jack, “Yes, sir. Can we get an order of pigs in a blanket?” 

“Yes! I made them.” 

JJ handed him the plate brimming with tiny hot dogs wrapped in pastry. Carefully, he took the plate and walked slowly to table. 

“Will you and JJ join us for appetizers, Jack?” Aaron took the plate from Jack and passed it around.

JJ and Jack sat with the adults at the table. Jack gave them a running commentary on his afternoon, “I made the menu and JJ helped me spell the words. She made the big words and I colored dem in. And I cooked and she let me use a butter knife but I hafta be careful. And I can’t touch the oven or the the pots. And I put four ice cubes in each cup. I spilled but JJ said chefs’ always make a mess.” 

JJ added with smile, “And chefs’ always clean up their messes.”

Aaron watched the group eating, laughing, chatting away. JJ had slid in and fit perfectly. 

He watched Emily wipe Jack’s face, and smile indulgently at him. She was slowly moving from a friend to a mother in Jack’s eyes, and his own eyes.

He glanced across at Jessica and watched her interactions with Emily, Jack, and JJ. 

She was becoming closer to Emily. Aaron had known Jessica since high school, they were friends despite the ugliness of the divorce then the horror with Haley’s death. He knew her as well as she knew him. She loved Jack and anyone who cared for him. Emily was already on the list and now JJ was included.

“This is family, this is my family!” He thought. 

Jack pulled on his sleeve trying to get his attention. “Dad!”

“Yes, buddy?” 

He was handed the menu, “You get to pick dinner from the menu.” 

Aaron looked at the menu. It had one item listed under the neatly written titles, Appetizers, Dinner, Dessert. Under Dinner, Jack had written Octopus and Seaweed in green crayon.

“Hmm, I am not so sure about this, Jack. Do you know if the chef recommends the octopus?”

Emily and Jessica broke into giggles as Jack promised his father that dinner was yummy.

JJ and Jack excused themselves from the table. She sent Jack in with one plate at a time until everyone had a dinner plate.

Jack explained the meal, “The octopuses are really hot dogs. When you put them into hot water they turn into octopuses. And this is seaweed spaghetti.” 

Jessica poked at her plate, prodding the pasta with her fork. “Seaweed, ewww! Gross!”

“It’s yummy, Aunt Jessie. Try it!” Jack ordered.

His aunt made a big show of pinching her nose closed before taking a bite. 

“Oh yum! You are right, Jack.” 

Aaron tried not to laugh as he watched his son gobble up the spinach and pasta in a butter sauce. “Thank you Jack and JJ for this amazing meal. I like Jack’s Diner, I hope we can eat here again.”

JJ avoided eye contact with him but Jack nodded with his mouth full and cheeks bulging out. 

Emily ushered them away from the table, “We can eat dessert in a little bit.” She stayed behind to clean up as the rest of the family spread out through the house. 

~~CM~~ 

After JJ and Jack settled on the couch watching superhero cartoons, Aaron followed Jessica into the study. 

“That JJ is something else, isn’t she?” His sister in law asked as she cleaned up Emily’s desk. 

Aaron sat in the armchair across from the desk, “That she is. I hope she will get more comfortable around me.”

A bark of laughter escaped Jessica, “Oh Aaron, that will take time. You are so intimidating. Okay, so you can’t intimidate me but for people who haven’t known you for twenty years...” 

She was lost in thought for a bit, he sat and waited. He knew the talk was coming after dinner, and sure enough, she was gathering her thoughts and planning what to say.

“Just spit it out, Jess. Don’t mince words or worry about my feelings.”

 

“Aaron, you and Haley. I mean, well yeah. You and Haley were perfect on paper. But you grew apart, even when you were a prosecutor. I am not discounting that you loved each other, I am really not but you loved each other and lived separate lives. It wasn’t obvious at first but once Jack was here, it really showed.” 

His five o’clock shadow was prominent as he scrubbed his face with his hands. “Jess, I loved Haley with all my heart. Even when things went bad, I still loved her.” 

Smiling sadly at her brother in law, Jess continued, “You loved her and she loved you but you both needed different things from each other. You and Emily have something special. Something different, maybe even deeper. You are partners more than a couple. I can’t explain it but it’s not something you should take lightly.”

“Lightly? We’ve been in a relationship for three months, Jess. Should I propose?”

She shrugged her shoulders, “Maybe because you are in sync from knowing each other for years, it seems like you were together for longer. You and Emily are building a family here. And I can’t tell you how much it means to me that I am included.”

He stood up and walked around the desk to pull her into a hug. “You are and always will be my family.” 

Emily found them in that position a few minutes later, Jess was red eyed and Aaron’s shirt was wet with her tears. “Everything okay in here?”

~~CM~~ 

The adults joined the kids in the living room, Jess thanking Emily for allowing her to use the computer, and Emily welcoming her any time. 

Aaron watched his four year old lean across JJ to talk to Emily; JJ’s hand resting on his back softly, ensuring he wouldn’t fall sideways off the couch. 

“JJ, I checked on the soccer league today.” Aaron got her attention. 

She glanced at Emily before her eyes darted to his. She nodded hesitantly. 

“You would be in the teen league, 14 to 18 year olds. They have two types of teams, Club and Competition.”

Jack popped up, almost clocking JJ in the face with his head, “What’s that, Daddy?”

“Club is where you practice and play games for fun. Competition, you have to try out for and then you have a lot more practices. They take the games more seriously.”

JJ looked at Emily again but Emily shook her head, “You have to make this decision for yourself, JJ.” 

She reflected on this for a minute, “Um, I think the Club team would be good for now. I can get back into shape and figure out this whole new school thing.”

“Sounds good, I will send the proper forms to Emily. I’ll bet you can join the team by this weekend.” Aaron smiled at her, making an effort to soften his face. 

“Yay!” Jack jumped up, “You get to play soccer like me. Can we have ice cream now?” 

“Yes, let’s get set up Jack Attack!” JJ stood and followed the boy into the kitchen. 

Jessica excused herself for the evening, “Thanks again Em! And nice job, Aaron. The girl was only half as scared of you than before.”

Locking up after her, Emily and Aaron joined the kids in the kitchen for ice cream sundaes. 

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I use to make Octopus or Spider hot dogs for my kids. You cut narrow strips into the bottom half of a hotdog and when you boil them - the legs curl up. Google Octopus Hot Dog for images…
> 
> This chapter is unbeta'd, all mistakes are mine.
> 
> Come chat with me on Tumblr: <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	7. Chapter 7

~~CM~~

On Tuesday, they finished personalizing JJ’s room. JJ negotiated the purchase of wireless speakers so she could move around the house with her music. Emily was allowed to connect her phone to the speakers if they agreed on some basic rules:

  * JJ’s Rule: No crappy 70s music
  * Emily’s Rule: No boy bands or Bieber
  * Universal Household Rule: No country music



Both of them thought they had won because the rules had many loopholes. Emily’s choice of Metallica did not work as JJ informed her that Metallica was a boy band because they based the rule on gender and not type of music. JJ tried to play Taylor Swift but Emily noted her origins in country music.

Their arguments led to one and only one rule: they both had veto power over any song.

That afternoon, JJ had her first therapy appointment. It was just a short meet and greet with Dr. Tate. They talked for about 30 minutes before setting up after school appointments every two weeks.

“Well?” Emily asked her as they drove away from the plain non-descript building.

JJ huffed and puffed, “Nothing, I found nothing wrong. I could talk to her. She was nice and not pushy.”

Emily hid her smile, “I know you wanted to hate her and hate the process. This isn’t the dentist. No pulling teeth but it will be hard sometimes.”

“Well, her office was decorated by a someone from the future. It was all modern and steel. I hated that at least.”

~~CM~~

Pushing it one more day, they registered JJ for 10th grade at North High School on Wednesday. She was now enrolled in British Literature, Algebra II, Chemistry, Modern World Studies, Computer Fundamentals and Physical Education. They picked up her books, packets of homework and syllabi from the various teachers.

That afternoon, JJ reviewed her upcoming assignments and reading materials. Wanting to end the day on a high note, Emily signed up JJ for the soccer team and they picked up her uniforms (one for home and one for away games). JJ was invited to attend practice on Thursday night and the home game on Saturday.

~~CM~~

JJ was dreading starting school. They had walked around a bit the day before and she had a map but she was still a ball of nerves. She packed her bag, organized her supplies, and reviewed her schedule. Despite being tired, she had a hard time falling asleep.

Emily knew JJ had set her alarm for 6:00 am so she was surprised when she hadn’t heard anything from the teenager at 6:15.

Emily knocked but there was no answer from JJ. Emily entered the room to find a lump of a person under a bundle of blankets.

“JJ, wake up!”

Emily peeled back the blankets and found JJ with her head under a pillow. She shook the girl awake. “Come on, JJ. It won’t be that bad.”

The grumbling was muted under the pillow. Emily pulled it off and smacked her lightly with it.

At 7:45 am, Emily pulled her silver sedan in the drop off lane in front of the school, “Check in the with office first and call me anytime. If it gets really difficult, text me and I’ll come pick you up early.”

JJ hugged her backpack to her chest, her damp hair pulled into a high ponytail. She looked like a scared little girl. “I’ll be fine. I’ll see you at 3:00 pm,” her voice shaky.

Amazed, Emily watched as JJ got out of the car, straightened her back and walked determinedly around the groups of teens milling around. This was a walk Emily had perfected in her teen years. It was like putting on invisible armour.

~~CM~~

Emily didn’t want to go home and pace. Pulling out into traffic, her thoughts were consumed by the idea that JJ was swallowed up into the pits of Dante’s Inferno, specifically the 9th circle: Treachery. She turned on the radio; NPR was covering bullying in school.

Sighing, Emily turned off the radio and took the next turn. She would go to the office and review consults until it was time to pick up JJ.

“Hey Mama!” Derek Morgan greeted Emily in the bullpen. He had been her partner for the past five years. “What are you doing here?”

Emily settled down at her desk, and waved to Dr. Spencer Reid, the new agent in training, standing at the coffee machine.

Spencer poured a second mug and brought it over to her, “I thought you had the week off.”

“I do but I have nothing to do. The house is spotless and if I go home now, I’ll spend the entire day thinking about JJ’s first day of school. I figured I would tackle a few consults before picking her up at 3:00.”

“How is she doing? Hotch says she’s adjusting well.” Derek asked.

Dave Rossi, an original member of the BAU, joined them in the bullpen as Emily filled them in on JJ and her own transition into a parental figure.

“There are 379,122 children in foster care in the United States as of....” Spencer filled them in on the statistics until Aaron entered with a file in his hand.

“Sorry, Spencer,” Aaron tilted his head to the conference room. “We have a case in Florida. Emily, you may join in but just for the preliminary review.”

“Florida!” complained Derek, and Spencer asked why.

Derek was more than happy to fill in the newbie, “The Florida cases are extra special. You’ll learn, Kid, you’ll learn.”

~~CM~~

The case review ended with Derek, Dave, and Aaron flying to Tallahassee. Spencer would stay behind to build the geographic profile and work on his firearms’ qualification. Emily was not supposed to work but she could help Spencer at the firing range.

Emily walked Aaron down to the parking garage and offered to take Jack to the soccer game on Saturday if he wasn’t back in time.

They kissed lightly before Aaron pulled her in closer and walked her backwards until she was against the black SUV. Their kisses grew heated until he pulled away.

“Dave and Morgan will be here in minute.”

Emily reached out and caressed his cheek, “I’m going to miss going out with you on this case.”

“I’ll call you when I can. And you are not supposed to work this case. Just help Reid with his qualification.”

“Yes, Sir,” she replied saucily.

He smacked her butt as she walked away, “Sassy.”

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is unbeta'd, all mistakes are mine.
> 
> Come chat with me on Tumblr: <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	8. Chapter 8

~~CM~~ 

Emily and Spencer spent the rest of the morning pulling up maps of Tallahassee and the surrounding areas on the FBI computers. 

“This is so slow. It might be easier to drive down there and chart the maps ourshelves.” 

Processing what Emily had said to him, Spencer looked up in surprise. “But...”

“I was being facetious, Spence.” Emily teased him as she checked her phone. 

Blushing, the new agent grabbed more maps off the printer and taped them to the wall. 

Emily called out locations and he flagged them on the map. They had completed the geographic profile by the time the team had landed in Florida.

“I emailed the geo-profile to Hotch. Let’s get some lunch and then hit the firing range.” 

Spencer grabbed his messenger bag and followed Emily to the elevators. 

He watched as she checked her phone in the elevator, in the parking garage, and every stoplight between the academy and the restaurant. 

“Um, Emily. Are you okay?” He asked as he held the door open for her. 

She walked into the restaurant and smiled at the server, “Two, please.”

Once they were seated, Emily shared her concerns over JJ’s first day of school. “I expected a panicked call or ‘I’m ok’ text by now. Not knowing how she is doing is making me crazy.” 

Spencer nodded sympathetically, “I’m sure she would have contacted you if things were bad.” 

They chatted about work over their lunch and Emily was surprised to learn this was his third department as a new agent. 

“I have the autonomy to choose my unit once I pass the firearm qualification. I spent four months domestic threat and two months in white collar. I feel that my skills fit well in BAU and I have enjoyed this assignment the most. I will be asking to join the unit formally once I qualify.”

Emily recalled her path to the BAU; it was nothing like this. “How did you manage that, Spencer?”

Spencer grinned, “I was recruited when I was 16 by Jason Gideon. There was a fierce competition between the NSA, CIA, and FBI. Once I was done with my second PHD, I started the academy. The physical qualification was hard but I managed to pass it after the third try. It’s the firearm one that is holding me back.”

She couldn’t help but smile at the young man in front of her. He looked so much younger than his twenty two years. “I’ll get you through it.” 

~~CM~~ 

When Emily left the firing range, she wondered if she was over her head. Spencer’s marksmanship had decreased under her supervision. 

She drove to JJ’s school to find the line of cars around the block, despite arriving 15 minutes prior to the dismissal bell. Frustrated, Emily debated flashing her badge to clear the parents out of her way. 

She texted JJ, ‘Waiting for you in long line of cars in front of school. Hope today went well’

Twenty minutes later, Emily had pulled forward four car lengths. Hers nails were bitten down and she had clicked through every single radio station three different times.

‘Day seriously sucked. C U in 5. Have to check in office.’ 

Another 15 minutes went by before Emily was near the front of the line. She spotted JJ as she walked out of the front doors. The teen made her way to the car and Emily maneuvered out of the school parking lot a quickly as possible. 

“Well?” 

JJ leaned back in her seat and pulled her legs up, wrapping her arms around them, “I HATE the math teacher, lunch is disgusting, chemistry was a nightmare, and I think half the students are on drugs and the other half are brain dead.”

“Oh boy,” muttered Emily.

JJ continued, “And is the classes do NOT prepare you for the homework. The computer lab was a joke. Did you know Computer Fundamentals is just another way to say “typing class?”

The rants and complaints continued the entire drive home. Emily pushed open the front door and headed straight for the kitchen. She began making sandwiches as JJ paced around, talking with her hands.

Emily handed her a turkey sandwich and physically guided JJ to the table. “Sit down.”

The seasoned FBI agent slowly backed away, and headed to the fridge. She poured a glass of milk and handed it to JJ. 

“They made me stand in front of the class and introduce myself. FOR. EACH. CLASS!” 

When the doorbell rang, Emily was pleased to have a reason to flee. JJ’s social worker, Julianna, was at the door. Emily wasn’t sure if she was happy or terrified to see her. 

“Come in, but be warned, JJ just finished her first day of school.” 

Julianna followed Emily to the kitchen to find JJ still talking. 

“Do you even know what gym class they put me in? Dance! Contemporary Dance. I DON’T dance, Emily!”

Emily poured two glasses of water and handed one to Julianna inviting her to sit. 

“JJ, look, Julianna is here.”

The teenager was not phased by the appearance of her social worker. She huffed and continued complaining about her chemistry class in between sips of milk. 

When JJ finished her tirade, Julianna reviewed her checklist with them followed by inspecting the house and JJ’s bedroom. 

“You two are all set,” said Julianna.

Emily walked her out, asking, “Is that it?” 

“Yes, the home environment is fine. JJ is adjusting well. She enrolled in school and quite comfortable with you. You don’t usually seen teens talking openly so soon.”

Exhaling, Emily felt a rush as the nervous tension left her body. 

~~CM~~ 

Coming back inside, Emily found JJ at the table with piles of books, folders and papers. 

“Can I help you get organized?” 

“Nah, I have to look through everything and put in my planner.” JJ replied. 

“Did anything good happen today?”

JJ pulled up her legs again and sat cross legged in the kitchen chair. “I met this crazy girl who is pretty nice. And the Brit Lit teacher is cool.” 

“Fill me in on crazy girl.”

The teen scribbled in her planner as she told Emily all about Penelope Garcia, “She’s a junior and she’s so out there. Her clothes are straight from the 80s; bold and bright. She’s in five of my classes and a super computer nerd. While I typed, she updated three different Tumblr blogs, ordered boots from London, a necklace from Etsy, and read a fanfiction story.”

“Wow!”

“Um, yeah and she talked the entire time she was doing that. I know her whole life story.”

They continued chatting as JJ finished laying out her homework and decided on a light dinner after soccer practice. Emily pulled together a pasta salad as JJ tackled her hardest assignment. 

“I’ll read after practice. I can’t do math when I am tired.”

Around 10:30, Emily’s phone buzzed from her nightstand. 

‘Are you up?’

She called Aaron and they chatted about case, Spencer’s marksmanship, and JJ’s school. 

“She’ll adjust. Maybe they can change her gym class. Did she like the soccer team?”

Smiling, Emily snuggled deeper under her blankets, “Yes, she is going to request a different gym class tomorrow. The soccer team is very serious. I thought that being a club team it would be more fun but they have an hour and a half practices twice a week plus games. She seemed to enjoy it, though. The girls on the team were wonderful, very serious about the game.”

“At this age, the girls wouldn’t be on the team unless they were dedicated. I’ll bet every one of them is trying to get on the competitive team for next season.”

They talked a little longer before Emily yawned, “This parenting thing is hard work.”

“Good night, Em!” Aaron said, laughing. 

 

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the idea of younger Spencer, and teenager JJ and Penelope. It’s been fun trying to write them with their younger personalities. 
> 
> This chapter is unbeta'd, all mistakes are mine.
> 
> Come chat with me on Tumblr: <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	9. Chapter 9

~~CM~~ 

JJ was easier to wake on Friday. Emily didn’t even need to hit her with a pillow. They had breakfast and agreed to stop by the school a little early to request a different gym class. 

Afterwards, Emily went into the office and helped Spencer with the Florida case. The team had identified the UNSUB but he was hiding out. Using the profile, Emily and Dave (through speakerphone) helped guide Spencer until they were able to identify three possible hiding places. 

Derek called them back in the early afternoon to let them know local police had arrested the UNSUB and they were heading back. 

“Come on, Spence, let’s try again.” 

Spencer kept fidgeting with the files in his hands, “But we haven’t had lunch.” 

Taking the files from him, she deposited them on the desk. “I have less than an hour before I pick up JJ. We can get a quick session in and then you can have lunch.”

Grabbing his messenger bag, she handed it to him and walked away. 

“I don’t want to waste your time,” he pleaded. 

Emily turned around and gave him a glare worthy of Hotch. Spencer scurried forward and followed her into the elevator. 

~~CM~~ 

Drumming her hands on the steering wheel, Emily thought about ramming the car in front of her. She considered trading in her sleek sedan for a Humvee so she could roll over every single car in the “Drop Off / Pick Up Lane.” 

JJ walked out of the school with two girls, a tiny brunette and a tall girl with jet black hair. The tiny girl looked like she was 12. She wore jeans and a well worn gray t-shirt. She waved at them at took off towards the bus lane. The tall girl must be the crazy one that JJ mentioned. She wore pink striped leggings under a tiny jean skirt and cut up t-shirt featuring The Cure. Yup, the 80s definitely. She hugged JJ before bouncing away. 

“New friends?”

“Yup!” JJ dropped her bag on the floor of the car. It made a distinct thunking sound.

“Did you take up bowling? What’s in the bag?” Emily asked. 

“So funny, you should be a comedian!” 

Emily glanced over at JJ before pulling out of the lane; she was relaxed with a slight smirk on her face. “Whew, not as bad as yesterday,” she thought. 

“Well, I had to bring all the textbooks home so I can get some big things out of the way over the weekend. And yes, I think I have made some friends. Kinda I guess.”

JJ and Emily returned home and the high schooler filled her in on the trials and tribulations of being a student amongst ignorant facists.

“Fascists? Do you even know what that means?” 

“If you look it up in the dictionary, there is a picture of my math teacher,” JJ informed her, “Anyway, I was able to transfer to a strength building gym class. It’s mostly weight training and running.”

“Good! Who were those girls?” Emily handed her a bagel and sat down. 

“So the tall girl is Penelope. She is making a game for phone. Did you know anyone can just start programming? She just sat through class working on different characters and making them move. Can you even imagine? And the tiny girl is a senior, she’s in my new gym class and Brit Lit. She seems nice but she’s quiet.”

“What’s her name?” 

“Maya. Actually, I am not sure if she’s that quiet but it’s hard to talk over Penelope.”

They talked as JJ tackled a few assignments and made dinner together. Emily started laundry and reminded JJ to get her soccer gear ready for the morning. 

The teenager rolled her eyes, and huffed, “Yeah, yeah. Already done. I get to pick the tv show tonight.” 

After two hours of reality TV, Emily escaped to her bedroom and called Aaron for emotional support. 

~~CM~~ 

If getting JJ up for school was bad, getting her up on a Saturday morning was worse than Emily could have ever imagined. 

“But you have a soccer game,” she reminded the teenager. 

“It’s too early, why do we have to get there early?” JJ mumbled from under the blanket.

Emily kept yanking on the blanket but JJ was holding firm, “You have to have breakfast and take a shower.”

“I’ll have some milk and I can shower after the game. 30 more minutes please.”

They managed to arrive on the field with six minutes to spare. JJ joined her teammates and Emily set up several camping chairs along the sidelines. The coach had the girls stretch and run the field a few times before the game started. JJ stood on the sideline for the first part of the game, cheering for her team. When she was put in the game, Emily sat up straight in her chair. 

“Emily, Emily, Where’s JJ?” Jack had arrived with no sign of Aaron. 

She hugged the boy and pointed out JJ in the game, “Where’s your Dad?” 

“He’s with Uncle Dave getting out all the balls for my game. He said I could come over to you. Go, JJ, Go!”

Emily and Jack cheered and clapped throughout the game. JJ waved to them a few times. 

“Didja see, Emily, she waved. Look we have the same uniform. My number is 22 and JJ is 34.”

“I see that Jack.” 

By halftime, Aaron and Dave had joined JJ’s fanclub. She ran over and gave Jack a sweaty hug and compared uniforms with him. 

“JJ, I would like you to meet Dave Rossi. He’s one of the agents we work with at the BAU.” Emily introduced the teen.

Dave reached out and shook JJ’s hand, “Nice to meet you! Good game out there.” 

Flushed red from either shyness or exertion, she nodded to him. “Thanks, I have to get back.”

“Hi Aaron!” JJ called and she patted Jack on the head as she ran back to her team.

The FBI family reunited an hour later on field number four to watch Jack’s game. They cheered and hollered for the silliest soccer game ever played. JJ was in hysterics as Dave and Aaron tried to coach the kids. They would call them in for pep talks and they changed out the players on a regular basis. Two of the kids were looking for bugs, one kid was spinning in circles as another was scoring in the wrong goal. 

“If you think this is funny, you should watch their practices. Dave and Aaron waddle around like penguins trying to teach the kids control of the ball.” Emily told her. 

After the game, Dave headed out and the Hotchner’s followed the girls home for lunch. 

~~CM~~


	10. Chapter 10

~~CM~~ 

The blended family spent most of the weekend hanging out between Emily’s townhouse and Aaron’s apartment. Jack was thrilled to show JJ his room and his soccer trophy. 

The adults had little alone time with Jack but now they had almost no time alone since JJ come into their lives. They stole kisses in Emily’s laundry room, Aaron’s closet, and now they were on the stoop of the townhouse, kissing against the front door. 

“I’ve missed you at work.” He told her as he trailed kisses down the column of her neck.

Her hands carded through his thick dark hair, “But we don’t make out at work.”

He pulled back from her, his hair standing on end, “Yes, but at least I can see you.” 

Aaron pointed at the steps and they sat down. He pulled her hand into his and kissed her lightly. “How would you feel about moving in together?”

Emily couldn’t keep the shock off her face, knowing her stoic boyfriend would read into her emotions incorrectly; she smiled. “I am surprised Aaron, not that I don’t want to and we have to figure out logistics and kids and all of that but I am surprised.”

“It makes sense for us to get a house together.”

Emily laughed, “Oh Aaron, I love you. I do think it’s too soon. We have been dating for three months.”

He leaned over and nipped at her shoulder, “We’ve been dating for years and years. We just finally acted on it a few months ago. I am not saying next week but it takes time to sell or rent our places and to find a house that will fit all of us.” 

“We’ve been dating for years? Funny, I don’t recall this. All that time, I thought we were just friends.” She kissed the tip of his nose, “Well, since we’ve been together for so long, I have to say yes.”

~~CM~~ 

“Emily, you got a text alert,” JJ called from the study. She was trying to get the last of her homework done. Jack was laying on the floor, coloring beside the desk. 

Aaron and Emily were cooking dinner together. Emily set the knife down on the cutting board and asked Aaron to finish dicing the onions. 

“Not going to happen!”

She returned to the kitchen a few minutes later, “I guess Dave called Morgan. He is demanding to meet JJ. And stop being a baby about onions.” 

“Dave texted?” he asked.

Emily resumed her post at the cutting board, “No, Morgan did. Want to have everyone over for dinner tomorrow night if we aren’t out on a case? JJ doesn’t have practice.” 

“Sounds good; will you have time to pull something together? You are back in the office tomorrow. Maybe we should do pizza.”

Groaning, Emily leaned into Aaron, “If we have pizza, Morgan will make me work out with him on Tuesday morning.”

“I love pizza!” Jack announced. 

“You can’t go wrong with pizza.” JJ followed along behind four year old. 

Emily texted Morgan and Reid an invite and while Aaron called Dave. 

Jack was put in charge of setting the table while dinner finished cooking so JJ could concentrate on her “stupidly lame math assignment.” 

During dinner, Emily was amused by JJ. The teen was comfortable talking to her or Jack but she wouldn’t engage directly with Aaron. She wondered how tomorrow night would go with the addition of three more men. 

“But JJ said she would play Spiderman with me.” Jack whined to his father. 

“We’ll come back tomorrow night and you can play then. I promise. But JJ has school tomorrow just like you and it’s almost bedtime.” 

Pouting, Jack hugged JJ and Emily. Aaron waved to JJ and pecked Emily on the cheek on their way out of the door. 

~~CM~~ 

JJ took her shower and packed up all her assignments so she wouldn’t have to be up as early for school. Emily shook her head at her logic and offered her a cocoa before bed. 

They sat on the couch together, sipping their drinks. 

“You and Aaron are pretty serious?” 

“Yes,” Emily’s smile told JJ everything she needed to know. “We are very serious.” 

“Wow, like marriage and stuff?” 

Emily wondered how much information she should share with the teen, “Well, we are considering buying a house that would fit all of us but we just started talking about this today. We have to take quite a few things into consideration including how you would feel about this.”

“Me?”

“Of course, JJ. You are family.” Emily put her mug down on the coffee table. She turned and took JJ’s mug out of her hands and put it down. “You are family. This is not a temporary situation. You will stay with me for as long as you wish.” 

JJ threw her arms around Emily and hugged her tight. 

~~CM~~


	11. Chapter 11

~~CM~~ 

“Three large salads. Italian and Ranch. Yes, one large pepperoni, one large veggie and two of the comboy. Hmm? Yes, large. Sure. Thanks!”

JJ watched as Emily talked on the phone while putting away her gun, taking off her tall boots, and wrestling herself out of her suit jacket. Feeling sorry for her, JJ reached out and steadied Emily before she fell over.

“Whew, okay dinner is ordered. We have soda and beer, though Dave will bring wine. Oh God, we are out of juice boxes. How on earth are we going to fit six adults and two kids in here?” 

JJ rolled her eyes at her foster mother, “Jack can drink milk or Sprite or something. And we will spread out.”

“How was your day? Did the evil overlord of algebra give you a hard time?”

They chatted about JJ’s “rockin” day, algebra teacher has sub and she connected with Penelope and Maya on Snapchat. Then the “rockin” day sucked cause her chemistry lab partner was deranged and tried to bring her IQ down by sheer proximity. Emily bit her tongue trying to resist commenting as JJ talked. 

“Catch any bad guys today, Emily?”

“I’m on desk duty for the next month so basically I read case files, wrote basic profiles, and typed up internal reports. I have been out on the firing range with Spencer lately so that’s fun.” 

“Is the firing range like tv with plastic goggles and headphone ear cover things and cut-outs of people? Oooh is there a pop up targets that jump out at you? And you have to shoot the bad guys only and you lose points for killing good guys.” 

JJ was animated as she talked with her hands. She pretended to pull out a gun and then turned around and shot at imaginary bad guys. 

“Oh dear, I think we may need to limit your tv watching time.” Emily shook her head at the teenager.

Still laughing at JJ’s antics, Emily headed upstairs to change out of her suit as the JJ set up a few snacks around the house. 

~~CM~~ 

“Who is on your team again?” 

Despite Emily’s tall stature, she still needed to stand on a chair to grab all the glassware for their guests. One at a time, she handed the beer and wine glasses to JJ.

“So Aaron is the unit chief. He looks over the cases and determines which are the most pressing. You’ve met Dave, he recently came back from retirement. Derek is my partner, he use to be on the bomb squad. Oh god, why did I say that? Now you will reenact disarming bombs.” 

“Haha!” JJ rolled her eyes.

“And then there is Spencer. Well, Dr. Spencer Reid. He’s our newest member. He’s pretty new so he’s not in the field much.” 

JJ grabbed Emily’s hand as she climbed down, “Do you guys get hurt so much that you need a doctor on your team or does he work on the victims? Wouldn’t you want a doctor in the field?”

“Oh no, he’s not a medical doctor. He’s got like three or four phds in math and engineering and gosh, I can’t remember.” 

Their conversation was interrupted as Jack raced in, “JJ, I got ice cream sandwiches for me and you. Can we play Spiderman? I wanna be the Green Goblin. Hi Emily! JJ, you have to pretend I’m green and I can fly, okay? And you have to pretend to shoot webs.” 

Aaron entered the kitchen with a grocery bag, “Jack, take a breath. Hello, Emily and JJ.”

Emily kissed him, “I didn’t expect you so soon.”

“Dave kicked me out of the office.” 

Bored with the adults’ conversation, Jack tugged on JJ’s hand. “Come on, let’s play.”

“You better run, Green Goblin.”

Squeals and laughter rang through the house as JJ chased the little boy through the house.

Aaron put the grocery bag down and pulled Emily into his arms, “Mmm, we have at least an hour before our guests arrive.”

After several minutes of kisses and hands sneaking under shirts, Emily placed her hands on his chest and firmly pushed him away, “We need a night to ourselves.”

“That we do,” he sighed heavily.

~~CM~~ 

The townhouse was filled to capacity. Dave, Aaron, and Spencer were in the living room, while Derek was flying Jack around the first floor. JJ hid in the kitchen with Emily under the guise of filling drink orders. 

“You didn’t tell me he was capital H, capital O, capital t, HOT!” JJ hissed at Emily, “I would have put on something cute.”

Emily patted JJ’s cheek, “You are 15 years old and you are not, I repeat, NOT attracted to an adult.” 

JJ stuck out her tongue at Emily, “Attracted! Lame word, Emily, I’m not like 30. I just think he’s hot. He’s way too old for me anyway.”

“There are so many things wrong with what you just said.” Emily handed her a glass of red wine, “Give this to Dave, please.”

“Here you are,” The teen delivered the wine but not without smoothing down her already smooth hair. She turned to Aaron, “Um, can I get you anything?” 

Aaron requested a beer and she scampered away, “Wow, she is more skittish than normal around me.” 

“I don’t think it’s you that’s making her nervous.” Dave told him, cutting his eyes to Derek. 

Emily joined them, handing Spencer a beer, as JJ followed behind handing Aaron and Derek their beers.

“Jack and JJ, go get drinks. I would like to make a toast.” Dave announced. 

By the time they were back with their water bottles, Dave had a brightly wrapped package in his hands. 

He raised his glass, “Welcome to the BAU family, JJ. We are pleased to have you. Cin Cin!”

The group raised their glasses, “Cin Cin!” 

Jack tried to clink his bottle to each person, spilling water over his hands. 

Dave handed JJ the present, and sat down on the couch. She joined him and delicately ripped the wrapping paper off.

“You hafta rip it off fast, JJ.” Jack told her helpfully. 

JJ gasped as the name on the small box was revealed, “A tablet! Oh my gosh, it’s a tablet!” 

Dave smiled, “And I already pre-loaded some books on there for you.” 

A collective groan came from the entire BAU team.

“You didn’t!” 

Indignant, Dave chortled, “Why shouldn’t I? They are critically acclaimed.”

The teenager looked around the room and back to the e-reader in her hands, “What am I missing here?”

Emily sat down beside JJ, “He has written several books about serial killers. Those are the ones he preloaded for you.” 

“Cool!” exclaimed JJ, “Is there blood and gore?” 

The adults laughed and Emily took a long sip of her wine, muttering, “Way to go, Dave!”

~~CM~~


	12. Chapter 12

~~CM~~ 

Despite desk duty, Emily was enjoying working a part time schedule and leaving by 3:00 pm to pick up JJ from school. She often took case files home and worked alongside JJ as she completed her homework. 

They did everything together from grocery shopping, soccer practices and games, coffee with Jessica, movies with Pam, and even hanging out at fast food restaurant play area with Jack when it was too wet to play at the park. 

JJ tackled her homework and classwork with fierce determination, faltering in her math courses. JJ went to her therapist appointments without complaint. Emily learned to give the usually bubbly teen some space after she met with Dr. Brenda Tate. 

Emily was pleased that JJ was texting with her old friends from Pennsylvania as well as her new ones, Maya and Penelope. JJ hadn’t invited her friends over or asked to visit them. She never wanted to hang out with the soccer team after game, opting to head to Jack’s games instead.

“Aaron, I hate to say it but she’s clingy.” 

His voice came through the phone, deep and gentle, “Em, it’s just been a month and she is still adjusting.”

She snuggled deeper under her blankets, rolling over onto her side. “I know, but I can’t help worrying.”

“You offer her stability, something she hasn’t had in awhile. Even before her mom’s accident. She is still getting use to having a real home. Why don’t you ask her to invite her friends over?” 

“They’ll probably sit next to each other and text.” Emily sighed, “I’m coming back to the field soon. I want to be sure she’s going to be okay if I travel.“ 

Aaron murmured reassurances and they chatted a bit longer before he heard her yawn, “Good night, sweetheart.”

“Night, Aaron.”

~~CM~~ 

“Hey JJ, why don’t you invite Penelope or Maya over after school tomorrow. I can give them a ride home after dinner.” Emily offered.   
Scrunching up her nose, JJ contemplated this before pulling out her phone. “I’ll ask. Pen has her own car so maybe she can drive us over and you won’t have to pick me up after school.”

Emily worked hard to keep a neutral expression on her face, “Just let me know by 2:30.”

They struggled through a profile and algebra before calling it quits. 

“You make a salad and I’ll throw some rolls in the oven. The chicken and veggies are about done.”

JJ watched Emily close up her brown FBI file; the colored photographs were obscured but JJ had a feeling this was a bad one. “What do you do now with the case?”

The profiler sighed, “I will give this one to Aaron tonight. I have a feeling the team will be flying out in the morning.”

“Do you want to go with them?” 

Emily rummaged through the fridge, handing JJ ingredients for the salad. “Yeah, I do better when I can visit the crime scenes but I know they have it covered. I’ll be back traveling soon enough.”

JJ busied herself with slicing up the tomatoes, before turning to Emily. “I know I gave you a hard time about Pam staying with me when you travel but I don’t mind. Really!”

“Thanks JJ, that helps. I have been worried a little bit.”

Giggling, JJ told her foster mother, “Plus, she has much better taste in television than you.” 

~~CM~~ 

Last night Penelope had confirmed that she could drive JJ home and stay for dinner. The girls were waiting to hear from Maya. 

Emily was pleased when the first text came in over lunch, the three teens would be coming over and making dinner. Her gasp startled the agents in the bullpen. 

“What’s up, Princess?” 

She reached across Spencer’s desk to hand her phone to Derek. He laughed loudly, handing the phone to Spencer. 

“It just says ‘we are making sushi.’ What is wrong with that? Do you not like sushi?” 

Emily took her phone back and dropped into her chair. “I like sushi. I expected them to want pizza. I am just imagining sharp knives and food poisoning.”

The team hung around the bullpen, doing busy work while waiting for Aaron to finish up with the bureaucracy. The case Emily had reviewed merited a visit but the local police were refusing to invite them in, despite the head detective’s request.

Spencer was reading slower than normal while tapping out a pattern on his thigh. Now that he was finally field rated, he was itching to go out on a case. 

Derek was shuffling papers to cover up that he was texting. 

“Hmm, probably sexting,” Emily thought as she pulled another stack of cases and started reading. 

They ate lunch at their desks, go bags ready, waiting for their unit chief to announce, “Wheels up in 30,” but it hadn’t happened yet. The afternoon dragged on and Emily finally packed up her desk at 4:30. 

“I’m off. Going to check on the girls and see if my first aid skills are up to par.” She told Derek and Spencer. 

She stopped by Dave’s office for idle chit chat before heading into Aaron’s office. He was on the phone so she gave him a quick wave but he held up his hand, indicating she should wait. 

“There was another abduction. The Kansas Attorney General has overruled the local police. We are heading out. Can you run the web searches tonight? You will be faster than Reid anyway.”

Emily smiled, “He’s such a technophobe for someone so young. Call me with developments.” 

“We need our own tech analyst instead of sharing with other teams,” he grumbled as he grabbed his go bag.

He knocked on Dave’s door and walked her back to the bullpen, “Wheels up in 20.” 

The team gathered their case files and bags, joining Emily and Aaron in the elevator. 

“You’ll do great Spencer,” Emily bumped shoulders with the young doctor. 

Derek laughed, “The kid will be fine. You on the other hand will have a nice case of food poisoning.” 

Aaron and Dave looked at Emily expectantly. 

“JJ and her girlfriends are making sushi for dinner.” 

Dave chuckled and Aaron’s frown broke for a moment, his eyes crinkling. 

~~CM~~


	13. Chapter 13

~~CM~~ 

There was an old orange convertible parked in front of the townhouse. Emily had a feeling it belonged to Penelope based JJ’s descriptions of her personality. She walked in and put away her gun as sounds of laughter drifted through the house. 

“Hello Ladies,” called Emily as she took in the scene before her.

The teens were standing in height order, from Maya being the shortest to Penelope being the tallest. Emily held back a giggle as she noticed each of the girls had rice stuck to their faces, hair and clothes.

“Emily, come meet my friends. This Maya and Penelope. Guys, this is Emily.” JJ introduced her to her friends but they all opted for waves instead of handshakes. 

Emily sat at the counter and watched as each girl completed a task: cutting veggies, slicing fish then rolling everything together inside of the rice and seaweed wrapper. 

“Wow, I am so impressed. I expected a disaster.” 

The girls burst into laughter as they stepped apart to showcase the kitchen behind them. Every single pot and pan was filthy and the kitchen counters were covered with wrappers, cans, containers, and an a wide assortment of ingredients. 

JJ handed Emily a beer from the fridge, “We messed up the rice the first four or five times.” 

“What? How?” 

Penelope jumped in, “Turns out that rice is an exact science. Not to worry, Snow White! We will clean up,” with Maya nodding along. 

Emily mouthed “Snow White” to JJ and smiled at Penelope, “Um, Snow White?”

Maya and JJ kept working as their bold friend filled Emily in on her new nickname, “You’ve got like this gorgeous alabaster skin and the dark black hair. Pair that with your red red lips. You are totally Snow White.” 

Bewildered, Emily nodded, “Okay then, I’m going to the study to work for a bit. Let me know if you need anything.”

Shaking her head, she took her beer and headed into the other room to start the web searches for the case. 

~~CM~~ 

Emily worked and eavesdropped on the girls. They talked about teachers, other students, and an upcoming movie release. They dropped text speak into their sentences and Emily missed a few phrases. “SMH,” she thought, “what the hell is that?”

After hearing Penelope’s last statement, “Mixel, you take out trash and Sporty Spice, you get the wasabi and ginger out. I’ll start plating the rolls.” Emily decided to finish up, emailing the social media background checks on the victims to Aaron and requested a deeper dive into records to the section’s tech analyst. 

“Mixel and Sporty Spice?” Emily asked Maya as she headed out with a full trash bag.

The teen ducked her head and sighed, “It’s a mixture of Maya and Pixie. PG gives out new nicknames daily and sometimes hourly.” 

“Are you guys enough old enough to remember the Spice Girls?” Emily asked. 

JJ shrugged her shoulders, and Penelope filled her in, “Oh my gosh, my mom looooooved them. They are a British Girl Power group. My mom use to call me Baby Spice or Scary Spice depending on my mood.”

Shaking her head at JJ, Emily smirked, “Sorry hon, the music rules have to be amended. Veto Power on any song and Absolutely no Spice Girls. Also, I don’t think you should hang out with Penelope any more. She is obviously a bad influence.” 

Emily snapped photos of the food and the messy girls on her phone. They posed making faces, holding up the butcher knives and pretending to eat the sushi rolls. 

She thought she was clever when under the guise of sending them the photos, Emily was able to get their contact information. 

Penelope leaned over and smugly said, “Real smooth, Parental Unit, real smooth.” 

Dinner was surprisingly good and the conversations never stopped, even Maya was able to get a few words in. Emily was quite impressed with JJ’s friends. 

“How about I clean up and you guys tackle homework?” 

Maya sighed, “I have to get home. PG, can you drive me?”

JJ walked her friends to the door and Emily tackled the burnt rice in stuck at bottom of the pots. 

“I enjoyed your friends. They seem fun.” 

“Yeah, and they liked you.” JJ told her as she wiped down the counters and started the dishwasher. “You didn’t go all judgmental on them.” 

Emily smiled and tucked a strand of JJ’s hair behind her ear, “I hope you are happy here, Jayje. I want to be sure that you have a good life.” 

Blinking away tears, JJ gave Emily a quick hug before darting off, “K, off to do some algebra.”

~~CM~~ 

Derek called Emily at 9:30 pm, “Princess, any stomach cramps?”

“Very witty, Morgan. The girls did great. What’s up with the case?”

He filled her in on the latest crime scenes and Reid’s very first meeting with the LEOs. 

“So Hotch says, ‘This is DOCTOR Reid’ and they laughed so he gave them the Hotch Glare. They all stammered and stood up straight like he was a military general.”

“I’m sorry I missed that. I love watching people squirm under his gaze.”

Snickering, Derek asked, “Does he ever make you squirm?” 

“Anyway…. “ She sighed at his innuendo, “I put in the request to the tech analyst. I peeked into the system and there is only one high priority request ahead of ours. I’ll check again in the morning.”

He gave her a few more case notes before hanging up. She didn’t have a chance to put the phone down before it vibrated in her hands. 

“Aaron, can you fire Morgan? Please?” 

“Is he sexually harassing you again? How did tonight go?”

Emily filled him in the girls and JJ’s hug. “I think we are getting somewhere. And they made plans to study together and go to the movies.”

“Em, that’s great.” His voice lowered, “I miss you in the hotel room next to mine. You know, the ones with adjoining doors.”

As they talked, Emily wandered the house, locking up and turning off lights. She blushed at the huskiness in his voice, realizing that JJ was living room watching TV and playing on her phone. 

“Um, yes, that sounds good.” She stammered into the phone, “I’ll give you a call back, babe.”

“I’m off to bed, JJ. Don’t stay up too late.”

JJ barely glanced up from her phone, “Night.” 

Emily returned to her bedroom and firmly shut the door before returning his call. 

~~CM~~ 

A/N: I love teenage Penelope! 

LEOs = Law Enforcement Officers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say Hi on Tumblr: <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>.


	14. Chapter 14

~~CM~~ 

It had been nine weeks since JJ had come to live with Emily. Between therapy and her friends, JJ had blossomed. She talked about her mother and sister with greater ease; crying in Emily’s arms or sharing a silly memory. 

Emily was impressed by JJ’s resilience and determination. She kept up with her schoolwork, trained hard with her soccer team, and played even harder during the games. 

Emily’s concerns over JJ’s social life were eased as the friendship with Penelope and Maya had grown stronger. They were inseparable now doing everything together from JJ’s soccer games to Maya’s dance classes. JJ had even gone out for pizza with her soccer teammates a few times. 

It didn’t phase JJ when Emily had to travel on a case. She loved time spent with Pam and they had a tendency to have too much fun. 

Returning home after a case, Emily found the pharmacy delivery receipt for Tums, Pepto Bismol and Alka Seltzer. Apparently, Pam had allowed JJ, Penelope, and Maya to have a sleepover. The girls had decided to make videos of various taste tests. It involved blindfolds, laughter, and a variety of junk foods. They compared the cheese flavoring on chips before taste testing name brand and generic brand colas. It was the “How hot can you go?” with spicy chicken wings that set them over the edge into to gastrointestinal distress. Needless to say, they were grateful that pharmacy could deliver at 11:30 pm. 

“If she experiments now, she won’t try the more dangerous stuff when she’s in college,” Pam informed Emily. 

Emily raised her eyebrow her friend, “Are you sure you are a licensed therapist?”

When not traveling, their schedule was pretty much the same from week to week; rushing to from appointments to soccer practices, squeezing in time to make dinner then diving into homework for JJ and paperwork for Emily. Aaron and Jack joined them one or two nights during the week and all day on Saturdays. 

The only thing missing from Emily’s life was a bit of adult time with Aaron. Rather than lean on Jess who already did so much for then, Emily offered to pay JJ to babysit Jack. 

“No, Emily. I am happy to do it.” 

Smiling at the teen’s earnest face, Emily pushed JJ’s hair back over her ear, “JJ, you need pocket money.”

“But you already pay for everything I need.” 

“Sorry, non-negotiable!” Emily stated, “If you babysit Jack, you get paid for it.” 

Emily couldn’t wait to plan a date night with Aaron; she almost snickered out loud as her plan was simply alone time at Aaron’s apartment.

~~CM~~ 

At the ten week mark, Emily took the day off from work. She met with the social worker and the dean of students regarding JJ’s progress, pleased that they both felt she was doing well. The dean did recommend a math tutor as it was the one class where JJ was continually struggling. 

“I’ll find a tutor for her. Thank you for your time.” Emily shook hands with the dean and walked out of the school with Julianna.

“I understand you have been back in the field for a few weeks now. How is that going?”

Nodding, Emily followed Julianna to the visitor parking lot. “JJ catches a ride with a friend or rides the bus after school. Most of the time, I can still drop her off in the mornings. I have my neighbor, well, my friend, stay overnight when I have to travel. It’s only been two trips so far.” 

Julianna unlocked her car and dropped her bag in the passenger seat, “Yes, Pam, JJ had mentioned her.” 

She closed the door and turned around, leaning back against the car, “You don’t need to worry, Emily. Things are going well. The home visits have been satisfactory. JJ is doing well in school. She is social and involved in sports. She is seeing a therapist and is in good health. You are doing great.” 

“I just worry.” Emily confessed, picking at her fingernails.

“I’d be concerned if you didn’t.” Julianna held out her hand, “Have a good day, Emily.”

~~CM~~ 

Emily headed to her neighborhood coffee shop, waiting for Jess and Jack. She had ordered their drinks, and double checked that Jack’s hot cocoa wasn’t actually hot. They entered a few minutes later, Jack zooming over to her. 

Two hugs and a loud “Thanks!” later, Jack had a chocolate mustache and the women were relaxing into their squashy arm chairs. 

“I couldn’t bring my laptop and work from here. I’d fall into a coma.” 

Smiling, Emily leaned back further into the chair, “Mmm, this is nice. I wouldn’t mind one of these chairs at home.” 

“Emily, do I get to come to your house tonight?” Jack asked her as she ruffled his hair.

“Yes, Sir!” She replied. 

Jack giggled at being called sir.

“Well, how are things going with JJ? Aaron says she will talk to him now.” Jess asked. 

Emily sipped her drink, wiping her mouth before answering, “It’s pretty cute. She still stammers but she will talk to him. She is growing more comfortable with Dave too but I think it’s because she sees him each week at soccer. She won’t say much around Derek or Spencer.” 

Jack popped up from train table in the corner of the coffee shop, “Spencer can do magic. Did you know that, Aunt Jessie?” 

“Wow, Magic!” Jess answered but Jack had already gone back to playing with the trains, making sound effects as they crashed into each other, “Em, how are things going with Aaron? Any more talk about moving in together?”

Shaking her head at the situation, Emily replied, “It’s bizarre having this conversation with you being Haley’s sister.”

Jess reached over and patted Emily’s arm. “There is no betrayal here, you aren’t cheating her or her memory. They were divorced. They always loved each other but it was truly over. Haley would want Jack to have a mother; she would also want Aaron to love again.”

Emily expelled a long drawn out breath, “I can’t tell you how much I needed to hear that,” her voice dropped to a whisper, “I love Jack and I hope someday, I could be like a mother to him.”

“I’m sure you know that Aaron is an all or nothing intense type of guy. You guys are in for the long haul. So, fill me in on the house hunt.“ 

“Such a mess! The realtor doesn’t expect the condos to sell at the same time, so one of us will need to move into the other’s place. Both our homes are only two bedrooms so it will be cramped until we find a house and close on it. Plus, Aaron has to be approved as a foster parent before we can make any kind of move.” 

The women chatted for awhile before it was time to leave. Jess and Emily hugged goodbye and Emily took Jack to pick up JJ from school. 

Emily sent Aaron a photo of JJ giving a Jack a piggyback ride, ‘Look at our kids!’ 

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Save me from boredom, come say Hi on Tumblr: <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	15. Chapter 15

~~CM~~ 

Aaron arrived at the townhouse to find Jack, JJ, and Emily covered in white powder, either flour or powdered sugar. He stood there silently, unsure of how the scene before him managed to loosen the constant tightness in his chest. 

“Wow, what’s all this?” He called out, announcing his presence. 

Jack jumped on him; filling in his dad with the latest from school: Aunt Jessie, Spiderman, and most importantly the homemade cake baking in the oven. 

Aaron and Jack settled in the living room going over all the worksheets and drawings the little boy had completed at school. JJ sat nearby with her homework and commented on Jack’s work when he looked to her for affirmation. 

Emily returned to join her blended family, having cleaned up the mess in the kitchen. She crossed behind Aaron, trailing her fingers across the back of his neck before rounding the couch and sitting beside him. 

JJ handed Emily an essay to edit and slid off the chair onto the floor. She laid out her math papers on coffee table and started her assignment. 

Mesmerized by the numbers and formulas, Jack climbed into JJ’s lap and pointed out each number grouping. “Those are a lot of numbers.” 

“Yup,” she popped the p sound and the little boy giggled. 

“Oh no, JJ! Look! You messed up and put your letters in with your numbers. Look, it’s there is an X.” 

The adults exchanged an “Awww, isn’t that adorable” look. 

“This is called Algebra. It’s like a guessing game. You put in a letter in place of a number. Then you had to figure out what number should be there.”

Clapping his hands, Jack exclaimed, “Cool! I like guessing games!” 

JJ gave Jack a big squeeze, “Guessing games are fun.”

“How are you doing in algebra, JJ? Emily mentioned you may need a tutor,” asked Aaron.

She glanced up at him and met his eyes for a few seconds before answering, “Um, yeah. It’s like each assignment builds on the one before and I can’t keep up. By the time I figure it out, the class has moved three steps forward.” 

Aaron smiled softly at her, “I wish I remembered algebra well enough to help you out. It came pretty easily whereas I struggled with my English composition classes. I never could make my essays meet the minimum length.“ 

She smiled back at him, and promptly grimaced as Emily said, “I’m looking for a tutor.” 

JJ sighed, “Emily, I don’t want a tutor. I am already in therapy and soccer and I have a ton of homework. I’ll never have time off or a chance to hangout with my friends.” 

Emily handed her back her marked essay, “Only a few commas and one run on sentence. And the tutor doesn’t have to be full time. Just a little help to get you over the hump.”

The teen grumbled and pulled her homework together, ”Wanna play, Jack?” 

Jack scampered out of her lap and ran full tilt up the stairs to JJ’s room. 

“I’m guess that was a yes!” JJ said as she followed him, her arms filled with books and folders. 

~~CM~~ 

Emily pulled Aaron off the couch as he complained not being allowed to order in. “Nope, we eat take out all the time on cases. When we are home, we cook healthy meals, Mister!”

Following her into the kitchen, Aaron said, “I was thinking about home earlier, the concept of home I mean.” 

Emily ducked her head and upper body into the fridge. Unable to resist, he smacked her backside. She popped out of the fridge and handed him an onion.

“Just for that, Hotch, you get to dice the onion.”

Taking the onion from her, he pouted, “Hotch? What happened to Aaron?” 

She continued to pull items out of the fridge as he laid out a cutting board and a stock pot, “What did you mean by home, Aaron?”

Flashing his dimples at her, he said, “Home, not your house or my condo, but home is with Jack, JJ, and you. Walking in here and seeing all of you together…” 

Interrupting him, Emily grabbed his tie and pulled him down for a kiss. 

“Emily, I really don’t know how we got here between all the ugliness and tragedies, we have something very special. I want to live with you, raise our children together; I want to marry you,” he stopped to kiss her, “and no, that was not a proposal. Dave says I don’t communicate and you will get the wrong ideas about our…” 

He trailed off and scrubbed at the back of his neck; he pulled together his thoughts and resumed speaking, “I want to be sure you know my intentions. Emily, you are my future and I want it all with you.” 

Not expecting a grand declaration from Aaron, Emily’s couldn’t control her expression, breaking into a large grin. Her wide smile and sparkling eyes told him she wanted the same. 

“Aaron, you, you,” now Emily was having a difficult time expressing herself. Inhaling slowly, she composed herself, “I came back from the dead determined to live life to the fullest, to achieve my dreams and with JJ, Jack, and you, I am able to do that.“

He stepped forward, tucked a stray hair behind her ear, and wiped away a tear that had slipped through, “Let’s make this happen. We are on stand down next week, I will complete the foster parent paperwork and we can meet with the realtor.” 

He held her close, peppering her with kisses. Emily lifted her face a bit and nuzzled into his neck. After a few minutes, they pulled apart and began preparing dinner for their family. 

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on Tumblr: <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	16. Chapter 16

~~CM~~ 

The team was on stand down, which meant no active cases. Agents had the option of taking vacation days, or working in the office. Derek and Spencer flew home to visit their families, the latter being rather tight lipped about his Vegas trip. Dave headed to New York to meet with his publisher; his latest book required cover art, fact checkers, and a marketing plan. He grumbled about his editors before smiling when he was reminded of his favorite cigar bar. 

Emily had used up most of her vacation days when JJ first arrived so she opted to head into the office with Aaron. She worked case reviews and watched as Aaron worked half days.

He attended a few meetings, budgets and personnel. Section Chief Strauss rejected his proposal to add a technical analyst position to the unit. Again. 

He made time to review Emily’s reports before she sent her recommendations to the law enforcement agencies. She couldn’t help but smile when he left the office with a guilty look each afternoon to pick up Jack from preschool. 

Finally realizing that he couldn’t accomplish anything on his personal to do list, Aaron took personal days for Thursday and Friday. He met with Julianna, JJ’s social worker, and finished his paperwork to become a foster parent. He completed his mandatory physical and mental health assessment with the FBI doctors; only two months late this year. 

Emily and Aaron had discussed their housing situation with JJ and Jack. The kids agreed to share a room at Emily’s townhouse since the second bedroom could fit two twin beds. Aaron officially listed his condo with his realtor, and rented a storage facility. 

Jack was thrilled when his dad announced that they would be skipping school on Friday. The day started with father / son haircuts, lunch at Jack’s favorite place for chocolate shakes and burgers, and wrapped up with roller skating. 

~~CM~~ 

At the FBI offices, Emily emailed the final case review of the day. Looking around, she saw Cooper’s team grabbing their go bags and heading to the elevators. Anderson was pacing back and forth as the technical analyst, Ajam, worked on his laptop. She had a feeling this wasn’t case related as the young agent kept wringing his hands together.

She packed up her desk and stopped by to say goodbye, “What happened, Anderson?”

“Special Agent Anderson downloaded malware on his machine.” Ajam answered for the guilty looking man.

Anderson threw his hands up in surrender, “I didn’t mean to! I just, I mean, well...” 

He trailed off and Emily patted his back, “Ajam will get you squared away. He likes non-fat mochas from the cafe. Have a good weekend!” 

Ajam waved her off as Anderson resumed his pacing. 

Emily headed home, expecting to order pizza and relax at home with JJ and the Hotchner boys. 

Instead she walked into a very loud and crowded house. JJ and her friends had added two more girls to the group. The living room was covered in trunks filled with fabric, makeup, hair supplies, costumes, shoes, and jewelry. Penelope had set up a sewing machine on the coffee table. The music was cranked as loud as it could get and other girls were laughing and dancing. 

“You’re home! Great! Can you help us get ready?” JJ pleaded with Emily.

“Hi there! I’m Emily,” she introduced herself to the new girls, one of which looked like a shorter version of Maya “You must be Maya’s sister.”

The petite girl shook her hand, “I’m Sara.” 

JJ dragged over the other girl to meet Emily, “This is Charlotte. They are entering the talent show tonight. It’s last minute so can we use your bathroom, it has the most counter space and best lighting? Oh yeah, and can we use your hair straightener?”

“Sure, what are you girls going to do?” 

Penelope interrupted them with a high pitched whistle, “No time to talk, parental unit. You have been upgraded from fascist feeb to hairdresser to the stars. Mia Hamm, you go straighten Maya and Sara’s hair. Then you can give them high ponies,” the teen pointed at Emily, “High and sleek, got it? Whitney, you come try this on!”

Maya grabbed Sara’s hand and they ran up the stairs followed by JJ, who threw a desperate look over her shoulder. Charlotte crossed the room and began trying on the skirt over her pants. The sewing machine fired up again startling Emily into motion. 

Emily headed upstairs to her bathroom. JJ was straightening Sara’s thick hair in small sections and Maya was setting up makeup on the counter. 

“What was that?” 

The three teens laughed, as JJ filled her in,“That was PG in crisis mode. We sprung the talent show on her and she won’t let them perform in everyday wear.”

“I don’t know how I was volunteered for this.” Sara complained. 

Emily closed the lid to the toilet and sat down, “What are you doing in the talent show?”

“Charlotte is going to sing ‘How will I know’ by Whitney Houston and Maya and Sara are her backup singers. She signed up yesterday but she was so nervous at lunch that PG volunteered Maya and Sara. Apparently, this meant matching costumes and makeup.”

JJ continued on Sara’s hair as Maya ran downstairs for a quick fitting. Charlotte was sent upstairs so Emily could style her hair.

“Hi! Um, Penny said you should make it a sleek ponytail like you wore yours at JJ’s soccer practice two weeks ago, and not like Tuesday’s low ponytail.” Charlotte told Emily nervously. 

Rolling her eyes, Emily grabbed hair products and a comb, “There is something wrong with that girl.” She had Charlotte sit sideways on the toilet, “High sleek ponytail. Got it” 

They finished Charlotte and Sara’s hair styles and Penelope joined them in the cramped bathroom to start makeup. JJ and Maya retreated to the other bathroom to straighten Maya’s hair. Emily tried to escape downstairs unfortunately she was caught and sent to the other bathroom to put Maya’s hair up. 

Thirty minutes later, the three girls were ready in dressed in all black with matching ‘lilac’ skirts, bright eye makeup, and ponytails. JJ snapped photos as Penelope dashed around the house looking for something to spotlight Charlotte.

“But I will already be in the front position, Penny. Please, let’s be done.” Charlotte pleaded. 

Emily saved the day by finding a lilac scarf in her closet. 

She ushered in Jack and Aaron as she pushed the teens out the door, handing JJ forty dollars in cash for dinner out. 

“What...” Aaron started to ask but Emily held up her hand, silencing him. 

She pulled out a take out menu and her cell phone, “We are going to order in and spend the rest of the night quietly watching tv. How does that sound, Jack?” The little boy nodded enthusiastically, “And we are never going to discuss this evening or the hurricane known as Penelope Garcia.”

~~CM~~


	17. Chapter 17

~~CM~~ 

Emily sipped at her hot coffee, blowing before each sip, trying to ignore her team mates. 

“Thank you for the invitation however I am not interested.” Spencer said politely.

“Come on, Pretty Boy!” 

“No, thank you,” the younger man answered.

“It will be a great workout!” Derek tried again but Spencer shook his head, “You will learn a new skill. You love to learn.”

“Most accidents in the United States are caused by power tools. The rate of dismemberment of limbs is...” 

“BAU team, conference room please.” Aaron stepped out into walkway interrupting the agents in the bullpen. 

Dave strolled out of his office, following Aaron into the meeting. As the team settled down into their seats, Aaron pulled up the crime scene photos on the monitor.

Derek leaned across Emily, “You can put your engineering degree to use, Dr. Reid.”

“You need an architect and a handyman, not an engineer!” Spencer replied in a stage whisper. 

Dave cleared his throat and the men fell silent, turning their attention to the unit chief. 

After the case review, they returned to their desks to gather up their go bags and call home. Emily left JJ and Pam voicemails, and followed up with texts letting them know she was heading to Missouri. 

The team met at the elevators, Dave jumping back as the tech analyst, Ajam, stormed out. 

The man stalked into the bullpen shouting, “Anderson, what did you do now?” 

“Run, Anderson!” Derek yelled as the elevator doors shut. 

~~CM~~ 

The case in Missouri dragged on and on. The team and the local police were frustrated as the body count grew. Emily and JJ texted a few times during the day and chatted each night. Pam stayed at their house and had agreed junk food diet was not the best course of action after the tummy trouble incident. Instead, she created a new incident when she took JJ indoor skydiving, inviting Penelope and Maya along. Emily only learned of this when she received a bizarre voicemail from Maya’s father. 

Aaron and Jack (sometimes Emily) video conferenced before school and in the evening. One morning, Uncle Spencer walked by as they chatted, Jack screeching his hello’s to him. Within minutes, the entire team was speaking with Jack on the laptop.

It was day seven before they caught the unsub and were able to finally travel home. Weary and disheartened by the gruesome case, Spencer approached Derek on the plane. “Are you doing demolition this afternoon?” 

Derek’s face broke into a large grin, “It’s quite therapeutic!” 

Aaron raised an eyebrow at the agents, “Demolition?”

“Yeah, I flip houses and I need to take down some walls. I’m telling you, Reid, wielding a sledgehammer is the best way to exorcise the demons from a bad case.” 

Dave chuckled, “I prefer a cigar and scotch but whatever works for you.” 

~~CM~~ 

Arriving in the late morning, Emily was so relieved to be home, she didn’t complain about the mass of teens in her living room. She counted seven teens huddled in sleeping bags on the floor and couches. 

She locked up her gun and left her bag in the entryway before joining Pam in the kitchen. Pam had a huge platter of scrambled eggs, pancakes, and bacon ready for the girls. Emily snuck a piece of bacon and hugged her friend. 

Pam handed her a plate, “Welcome home!” 

“I can’t thank you enough for taking care of JJ all week. You didn’t need to entertain and babysit all her friends too, you know.”

“It was fun. They are easy at this age. Just keep them away from matches and all is good.” Pam replied cheekily.

Emily grabbed the syrup from the cabinet and sat down with Pam to eat. “Any issues?”

Looking guilty, Pam cleared her throat and then took a bite of her breakfast. Emily turned on her ‘unsub glare.’

“I am not a criminal, Em. I won’t confess.”

Realizing her friend was as stubborn as she was, Emily smiled, “Just tell me.”

“JJ hates her math tutor and I can’t blame her. The woman is condescending and cruel. I may have fired her.” 

Sighing, Emily shrugged her shoulders, “I’ll look for another one.” 

JJ and another girl woke and joined them in the kitchen, “Emily, you are finally home. This is Erica.” 

Emily and Pam remained in the kitchen for the rest of the morning, plating breakfast and cleaning up as the teens woke up. 

~~CM~~ 

JJ and Emily wrapped themselves in blankets as they attempted to binge watched an entire television series on Netflix. They chatted about JJ’s new friends from the soccer team, and how complicated it was to merge groups of friends, “Maya said I was replacing her since she graduates soon but I think I convinced her that you don’t replace friends, just add more of them.” 

They talked about Aaron and Jack moving in, sharing a room with a 4 year old, and eventually Emily led the conversation to school and the math tutor. 

“Em, I swear I wasn’t being stupid. I asked her about one formula and she got nasty.” 

Emily turned around on the couch and locked eyes with JJ, “No one has the right to make you feel stupid or to treat you with disrespect. Pam filled me in on what she overheard. She was right to fire the tutor. I am filing a complaint with the school tomorrow.”

Tears welled up in the big blue eyes, and Emily leaned forward and caressed her cheek. “Don’t cry, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

The tears spilled down JJ’s cheeks and she hugged Emily, “I know, you just, um.” The teen sniffled and pulled back, wiping her tears. “You just sounded so much like my mom.” 

“Oh JJ!” Emily felt herself tear up and grabbed the girl back into a tighter hug. 

~~CM~~


	18. Chapter 18

~~CM~~ 

“So Pam says tells her she has no business working with children and fired her.” Emily filled in Derek and Spencer as they gathered in the breakroom. 

“I love Pam. She is one hell of a woman!”

Emily and Spencer rolled their eyes at Derek, “I notified the school and this was the third complaint so they removed her from the list of recommended tutors. Unfortunately, JJ has a unit test coming up on Thursday and I have to set up interviews with the other tutors.” 

“This is Algebra?” Spencer asked.

“Algebra II.”

“I have a doctorate in Applied Mathematics you know. I could help this week if we aren’t called away.”

Derek clapped Spencer on the shoulder, “Perfect! Spencer and I will come over tonight. He will help JJ and I will introduce myself to Pam.” 

Emily sidestepped the men, reaching out to punch Derek in the chest, as she returned to her desk.

~~CM~~ 

That evening, the kitchen table was the place to be. Emily and Jack completed worksheets together while Spencer tried to demonstrate different methods of solving equations to JJ. 

“No, no, don’t worry. We will find the methods that work for you.” The young genius tried to assure JJ before launching into yet another explanation. 

Emily and Jack finished up his homework and began preparing spaghetti with meatballs, the latter all squished and rolled by the little boy. She kept glancing over to Spencer and JJ. 

The doctor kept launching into a long explanations as he demonstrated the formulas. JJ was still uncomfortable chatting openly around Aaron and Dave. She would go completely silent around Derek, Emily suspected a little crush there. But today, JJ seemed to relax around Spencer, interrupting and asking questions. The teen’s mood had brightened considerably as one of Spencer’s methods worked. While she was slow in solving the algebra problems, she was coming up with the right answer each time. 

Aaron had promised Derek an introduction to Pam in exchange for helping him move furniture into storage. They stored several large items from the condo, and brought over several boxes to the townhouse in time for dinner. The family invited Spencer and Derek to join them. Derek pouted when he realized Pam not coming to dinner leaving JJ and Jack, although the little boy didn’t know why he was laughing, in giggles.

Spencer joined JJ and Jack at the kitchen counter as Aaron, Emily and Derek ate at the kitchen table. Jack’s face was locked in a wide grin throughout the evening as Spencer did little magic tricks, enchanting the boy. 

“Hey, Pretty Boy, what do you say to helping move Aaron and Jack this weekend?” Derek called from the table.

“Me and JJ are gonna to share a room.” Jack announced to Spencer. 

Nodding, Spencer smiled, “I’m free until 7:00 on Saturday.” 

“Jack, I think we should go upstairs and decide where we want to put our beds”

Jack tried to hop down from the tall bar stool, JJ and Spencer both reached out to steady the boy.

“Daddy, can JJ and I get bunk beds?” 

Aaron cast Emily a quick look before turning to his son. “No buddy, we are going to move your bed into the room. Do you want a bunk bed? Maybe when we buy a new house we can get you a bunk bed.”

JJ scooped up Jack into her arms and swung him over her shoulder, “Come on, little man! We can decide where the Spiderman stickers go.” 

~~CM~~ 

With the kids upstairs, the BAU agents settled in the living room with coffee. 

“She is great with Jack,” commented Derek. 

Aaron smiled pulling Emily’s hand into his lap, “We are very lucky. She really enjoys playing with him.”

Emily added, “She loves him but I’m sure rooming together is going to get old quickly. We need to find a house quickly.” 

Spencer looked up from the book in his lap, “Derek, your fixer upper house may be large enough for them.”

“It’s 2,000 square feet,” Derek told the group, “and it’s in the district so kids wouldn’t need to change schools. What are you looking for?”

As they launched into their wish list, large family room, large kitchen, large backyard; Derek smirked, “I am sensing a theme here. Are you planning on more kids?”

The couple exchanged a look, and Aaron replied, “It would be nice. Now, tell us about your house.”

“Spencer and I took down a wall to turn the kitchen and family room into a large great room. The house is only three bedrooms so it’s a bit small for what you need but the neighborhood is great. I think there is a house for sale down the street that might work for you. And it’s in a cul de sac which is near impossible around here.” 

Emily perked up at the sounds of that, “Let’s ask the realtor to include that neighborhood in our search.”

The topic changed to flipping houses and Spencer wielding a sledgehammer before the evening came to an end.

~~CM~~


	19. Chapter 19

~~CM~~ 

Emily was throwing out the remains of her lunch when her phone chirped with a text alert. 

‘I passed! 86%! Tell Spencer’ followed by a large string of happy face emojis. 

She quickly texted JJ back her congrats and hurried into the breakroom, “Spencer, she passed!” 

He looked confused for a moment before breaking into a smile, “That’s great, Emily!”

She hugged him for a brief moment before running off towards the walkway, “I’m going to run and tell Hotch.” 

Aaron’s door was open so Emily knocked on his door frame. He was reviewing paperwork at his desk, she smiled as she noted his stiff posture. He must be reviewing something from Strauss. 

“Come in, Prentiss.”

She closed the door behind her, “Babe, JJ just texted. She got an 86% on her unit test.” 

He dropped his pen on the desk and pushed his chair back, “That’s great! We should celebrate.” 

Aaron stood up and crossed the office to Emily, “How about I pick up ice cream for tonight? Or do you think we should go out for dinner?”

Pecking a quick kiss on his cheek, “I’ll ask her. My lunch hour is up, I have to get back to work.”

“Your boss is a slave driver.” He called out after her. 

~~CM~~ 

JJ wanted to stay in and order pizza. Emily placed the order and texted Aaron to pick up ice cream. The Hotchner men were planning on spending the night as their condo was completely packed up. They were to move in the remainder of their belongings the next day.

Jack arrived with his sleeping bag and a small Spiderman suitcase, followed by Aaron with his go bag and three different flavors of ice cream. 

Within moments of their arrival, the doorbell rang. JJ signed for the pizza and returned to the kitchen. 

Aaron filled up glasses with water as JJ dished out the slices onto paper plates. 

“I heard the good news about your math test. Did everything just click for you?” 

Shyly, JJ ducked her head for a moment before answering, “It didn’t click. Spencer broke down another way to do the problems. It’s more steps so it takes much longer. I was only halfway done when the bell rang but Mr. Wells looked over my test and let me finish the rest during lunch.”

“Sounds like he is a decent guy?”

She dropped off the plates on the table and reached around Aaron to grab napkins, “He’s super intense and grumpy. I guess he’s okay if he thinks you are trying.” 

Jack burst into the room followed by Emily, “JJ, wanna built a fort? We can use sheets and blankets. Emily said it was okay, Daddy. We are allowed to.”

The little boy clambered up into his chair and shoveled pizza into his mouth before the rest of the family could sit down. 

“Sounds awesome, Jack-Jack!” JJ caught Aaron’s eye and mimed sleeping with her hands tucked under her head. When he nodded, she continued, “How about we have a sleepover in the fort?” 

Jack’s eyes grew big and he turned to his dad, “Can we Daddy? Please?”

The evening was filled with laughter as they build a giant fort out of bed sheets, clothespins, and rope. Aaron and Emily weren’t allowed in the fort until they bribed the kids with ice cream sundaes. 

~~CM~~ 

Emily was cuddled up to Aaron in her bed, his arm holding her to him as his other hand traced along her shoulder, down her arm before working his way back up. 

“Are you happy?” She asked.

“Yes, I am very happy,” he answered quickly. He paused to hold her hand, intertwining their fingers together before continuing, “I am glad we are moving forward and I can’t wait for the future.”

“But?” She asked, “there is always a but.”

His hand moved lower, “Butt!”

She could feel the rumble of laughter in his chest, and she burrowed into tighter. “Aaron! You are holding back.” 

“I am not, there is no butt. Jack and I officially move in tomorrow. We are going to buy a new house together so the kids won’t have to share. And I am going to marry you.” 

“You are saying no buts! We are moving forward?” clarified Emily. 

Aaron dropped a kiss on the top of her head, rubbing his lips on her silky dark hair, “You will be a Mrs. Aaron Hotchner before this time next year.” 

Emily tickled his sides lightly, “What if I wanted to keep my name? You could change yours, Mr. Aaron Prentiss.” 

~~CM~~ 

The sounds of laughter filtered downstairs to the living room where JJ was laying in makeshift fort. She smiled at Emily’s giggles and Aaron’s booming laughter.

For the first time since her mother died, JJ was happy. Without any reservations or guilt or tension. Happy. 

Overwhelmed by the feeling that she needed to speak to her mother, JJ closed her eyes and slowly blew out a breath. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t at her graveside, or praying in a church. Her therapist, Dr. Tate, had told her not to concern herself with where she was when she finally felt comfortable to speak to her mother. She had said when the time is right, just let the words flow. 

Opening her eyes, the teenager gazed at the stripped sheets above her, feeling the small warm body of Jack Hotchner sleeping against her, and spoke to her mother.

“Mom, sorry I haven’t spoken to you in so long. It’s been so hard since you, well, I miss you so much and I... “ She trailed off and took in a deep breath. 

“It was really hard after you were gone. I was alone and then in that group home, I felt even more alone. Like a robot going through the motions. But I am happy now. I have a new family. Emily is super cool and she loves me. I got a little brother now, Jack. And his dad, Aaron, is nice. It’s weird being part of a new family. But I am happy, Mom. I feel like I have a home and a family. I wish you hadn’t died, I wish that you were here. I know that you are with Rosaline and someday we will be together but I miss you. Oh Mom, I miss you both so much.” 

JJ wiped at the tears on her cheeks when Jack shifted next to her.

“Is your mommy with the angels too, JJ?” His little voice asked.

“Yes, my mom and my sister are in heaven.” JJ sat up a little and pulled Jack closer so she could hold him. 

“I miss my Mommy. Daddy lights a candle so we can talk to her. He says she is watching out for me.” 

JJ hugged him, “Yes, she is watching out for you. I like the idea of lighting a candle to talk to her.” 

She slid back down into a laying position and pulled the blankets over them, “Let’s go back to sleep, little man.” 

Feeling settled, JJ fell asleep with the boy cuddled against her.

~~CM~~


	20. Chapter 20

~~CM~~ 

It was official, the Hotchner’s had moved in Emily and JJ. The townhouse was cramped with the four of them; the mornings especially difficult with everyone getting ready at the same time. 

The new home worked out nicely for Jack. He was allowed to sleep in; Daddy could go on his morning run without having to drop Jack at Aunt Jessie’s house. Emily loved to make breakfast so no more cold cereal or frozen waffles in the morning. He got share to a room with JJ and she loved Spiderman almost as much as he did. She got him a cool Spiderman gloves that shot out webs but Daddy didn’t like it when he used it in the house. 

Today, Daddy and Emily took him to look at new houses ‘cause he needed to help pick his own room and the most funnest backyard. 

Jack loved all the houses they saw today. One had a little playground in the backyard. Another one was tall so he could make his voice echo and everything was very shiny like a robot house. The blue house had three different staircases, he could race from one staircase to another.

They were having dinner at McDonalds since JJ was still at soccer practice. He shoveled a nugget into his mouth so Emily would let him go play. 

“I really didn’t like that modern house. I want the new house to feel like home. Like I can put my feet up or nap on the couch.” Aaron confessed to Emily. 

“It was all glass and stainless steel. Can you imagine the fingerprints?” She agreed, “Did you like the first one? It’s a lot like your old house.” 

He had been waiting for her to bring this up, “Yes, it’s almost a replica of my house with Haley. I like the size of the house but honestly, it’s a bit formal for me.” 

Emily relaxed a little, she hated bringing up Haley’s name. She wasn’t jealous but she didn’t want to upset Aaron or trigger any bad memories. 

He reached across and rubbed the back of her hand before stealing her french fries, “We can talk about Haley, Em. I appreciate you trying to protect me but those memories aren’t ever far from my mind. I see her in Jack, you know. I choose to think of her, happy, full of life. Does that make sense?”

Nodding, Emily exhaled, “Yeah.”

“Now, that have eliminated two of the houses, what did you think of that last one? The blue one?”

Emily shuffled through the papers and pulled the sheet on blue house, “It’s over priced considering the shape it’s in. I do like the layout of the main level though.”

“I’ll let James know these ones are out and we can look at other houses.” He pulled his phone out as Emily stole back her fries. 

~~CM~~ 

JJ was adjusting to Aaron; the stilted conversations led to small talk and then slightly longer discussions lasting up to a full two minutes. The real breakthrough was an argument with Emily. Aaron had put his foot down about her musical choices and took away her phone. 

JJ had spontaneously hugged him, “She’s been forcing me to listen to the Arctic Monkeys for three weeks solid. I was about to call my social worker.” 

Emily stomped her foot like a child, “There is nothing wrong with Arctic Monkeys.”

Aaron held out her phone over her head, “No, there isn’t but you can’t play them on repeat for days on end. A little variety please.”

Smacking him, she took her phone and walked out of the room muttering, “As if you don’t listen to the stupid Beatles’ White album on repeat.” 

JJ and Aaron also bonded over their love of sports. They were following the World Cup and rooting for different teams, often yelling at the television. 

She liked the Saturdays they were all home. Emily would fill the cooler and Aaron would pack picnic blankets and camping chairs. They watched her games and cheered from the sidelines. Aaron would usually leave before the end of her game to set up on a field nearby for Jack’s team. He always had a kind word about her game, win or lose. 

For the last soccer game of the season. Emily decided to host a bbq at the park adjacent to the soccer fields. JJ invited some her teammates and friends; Jack invited his team, and of course, since half the BAU was coaching, Derek and Spencer were included. 

JJ’s team won the final and the coach encouraged her to try out for the competitive team next season. Emily was still cheering when JJ and a few of her teammates joined her on the sidelines. The girls collapsed on the grass and Emily passed out water bottles. After cooling down, the three soccer players helped Emily carry their gear to the bbq area nearby. 

Derek arrived carrying a cooler, followed closely by Maya and Penelope. JJ pulled the girls aside and they huddled with JJ’s teammates, sending not so covert glances at the tall, muscled FBI agent. 

Soon, Aaron, Dave, Jack, and a few families from Jack’s team arrived. The men set up a grill with hot dogs, and the ladies set up the picnic table with plates, condiments and side dishes. 

“Isn’t it funny, how men and women congregate?” Another mother, Jackie, asked Emily. 

“I know.” Emily said before her hand flew up to her mouth, “Oh god.”

Jackie followed Emily’s gaze; the teenagers were giggling and staring at Derek, “Which girl is yours?”

“JJ, the blond one with the red ribbon on her pony tail.” Emily smiled as she pointed out JJ, “If you will excuse me, I have to talk with ALL six girls.”

Emily marched over to the girls, “I know that you ladies are too mature and sensible to be ogling a thirty year old man.”

“He’s not a man, he’s a Chocolate Adonis!”

‘Of course, it would be Penelope who would make an inappropriate remark,’ Emily thought, shaking her head sternly at the teenager. 

Luckily, JJ jumped in and changed the topic before Penelope could get herself in real trouble. 

~~CM~~


	21. Chapter 21

~~CM~~ 

“Emily, wanna see the talent show? Pen just finished editing.” JJ called out to the other room. She was sitting in the study, watching the videos with Penelope. Emily joined them, leaning over to see. Charlotte sang and walked around the stage with a handheld microphone while Maya and Sara stayed in place, swaying and singing. 

“It looks like they did the routine from the Whitney Houston video.”

Penelope nodded, “We had to be authentic to the time period.” 

Emily rolled her eyes as Penelope played a few more videos; there was a comedian and a few dance routines. The girls filled Emily in on the kids and gossip. A band played a popular tune and JJ complained she is sick of because it’s been overplayed. 

Emily noticed that JJ went silent when the next student came on. A lanky teenage boy, with shaggy black hair, played acoustic guitar and sang. Penelope smirked and poked JJ in the side.

“Knock it off, Pen!”

Snickering, Penelope continue to poke until JJ smacked her friend’s hand, “Stop it.”

The next group of dancers came on and Emily excused herself. 

Back in the kitchen, Emily had to hold herself back from texting Aaron and Pam about JJ’s crush, muttering to herself, “Respect her boundaries.” 

~~CM~~ 

After dinner, Aaron went to supervise Jack’s bath; leaving Emily and JJ in living room. The tv was on but Emily was checking email and JJ was sitting at the coffee table, doing homework. 

“Em?”

“Hmm?” Emily asked, but then JJ didn’t reply. After a moment, Emily looked up to see JJ staring intently at her. “Jayje? What’s up?”

“Um, I wanted to ask you something personal. If that’s okay?” JJ said shyly, shredding the corners of her paper. 

“You are welcome to ask, I may not answer though,” said Emily as she closed her laptop and placed it on the table.

“Earlier, when we were on the computer,” JJ paused and Emily nodded for her to continue, “Um, well, your shirt kinda hung open a bit and I saw a scar on your chest. And in the past, I’ve noticed scars on your stomach too.”

Emily’s felt her heart beat faster as her body became fevered. This was not a conversation she wanted to ever have but she wanted to be honest with JJ. She looked up at the ceiling for a moment then closed her eyes. 

JJ waited patiently until her foster mother blew out a breath.

“JJ, you know, in law enforcement, sometimes we get injured on the job.” Emily took another breath, and continued, “I worked on a joint task force with Interpol, do you know what that is?”

“It’s like the Europe version of the FBI or CIA?” 

Nodding, Emily continued, “I went undercover to get information on an arms dealer. I played the role of his girlfriend. We were able to save his son and put him jail but he escaped a few years later. He attacked me, trying to find his son, Declan. I was seriously injured and we even had to fake my death.”

“Oh Emily,” JJ rose from the floor and joined Emily on the couch. 

“I’m okay, really. He’s dead. Declan and his adoptive family are safe in witness protection. That is the best outcome I could ask for...” Her voice petered out as tears slid down her face. 

They hugged, and Emily caressed JJ’s smooth hair. “I am glad you asked even if it’s hard to talk about.” 

~~CM~~ 

The kids were in bed, and Aaron joined Emily in bed after a quick shower. 

“Hey, do you want to talk about what has you so somber this evening?” 

She put her head on his chest, inhaling the clean soapy smell, “JJ saw my scars and asked about them.”

Aaron sighed, “That must have been difficult to talk about.” 

“It was but I am glad I told her.” She told him as she caressed his chest and stomach, “But I didn’t tell her the extent of the damage.” 

”You’re tickling,” he squirmed, “do you need to share that much information with her?”

Adding more pressure to her touches, she said, “I guess not. Anyway, I noticed something today. I think JJ has a crush on a boy at school.”

“Let’s hope you were mistaken,” he grumbled. 

“No, really. It was super cute, she blushed.”

Hugging her closer, Aaron admonished,“Just don’t tease her about it.” 

“Yeah, yeah! But what’s the point of having a teenager if you can’t mess with them?” 

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emily and Aaron allude to her injuries: “damage.” My headcanon: Emily had to have a hysterectomy after the fight with Ian Doyle.


	22. Chapter 22

~~CM~~ 

JJ was in the kitchen, looking for a late night snack, when she heard Aaron calling out her name. 

She turned around, smiling, “Hi Aaron.” 

Her smile faltered when she saw his face; he was wearing his “Standard Issue FBI Frowny Face.” A look coined by Penelope, JJ always laughed when it was directed at others, like the gas station attendant who had checked out the teen girls or the aggressive soccer mom on Jack’s team. Now, his “confess all your crimes” look was being sent in her direction.

JJ slowly moved to the counter and sat on the stool. She sipped her milk slowly and tried to recall what Emily had told her about interrogations. That’s right, she thought, always let the other person start. 

She took another sip and looked him in the eye. She lasted about two seconds under his unwavering gaze before breaking, “What’s wrong? What did I do?”

He smirked, his mouth quirking up on the right side, “Jack asked me what a ‘ho’ is and why he can’t trust them.” 

Bursting into giggles, JJ covered her mouth with her hands, “Oh no!”

Aaron poured himself a glass of milk, and joined her at the counter, “Really, JJ, what kind of answer should I give that is appropriate to a four year old?” 

Still giggling, JJ tried to answer but she couldn’t breathe. Finally, she calmed down enough to say, “It’s good advice though, right?” 

Emily followed the sounds of laughter into the kitchen. JJ’s face was bright red and she was giggling hysterically as Aaron’s deep laughter rumbled loudly.

“Do I want to know?” She asked.

With his lips still twitching, Aaron said, “JJ has been expanding Jack’s musical education.” 

“I didn’t mean to, I’d never listen to that when he’s around. It must have come on when I was in the shower or downstairs.” JJ told him. 

Confused, Emily looked back and forth between them. 

“I supposed I should listen to the song, eh?” He asked the teenager.

JJ stood up, “I’ll be right back.” 

“So, do I even want to know?” Emily asked, and Aaron shook his head.

The teenager rejoined them in the kitchen with her phone, placing in on the counter between them. “Keep in mind that I didn’t write the song, okay?”

As the song played and the adults had a hard time controlling their laughter; Aaron trying hard to maintain his stoic expression. 

Managing to school his expression, he leaned over the counter, placing his pointer finger over Emily’s lips, and dead panned, “Shush girl, shut your lips.”

They all laughed uncontrollably as tears rolled down Emily’s cheeks.

~~CM~~ 

Derek found them a house before their realtor did; it was on the street behind his fixer upper. He had been replacing pickets in the fence in the backyard, chatting with the neighbor when he mentioned putting his home on the market. 

“So it’s 3,200 sq feet, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, finished basement, and the backyard is nicely landscaped.” He whispered to Emily at the round table. 

Perking up, Emily’s fingers were flying across the tablet trying to find the house online. Aaron leaned across and stopped her hand, “Case, Em.”

Muttering under her breath, she put the tablet down, “Stupid Unsubs! We may lose out on this house; you know the market is hot right now.”

Aaron leveled his stern gaze at her and turned back to face the screen, “Three victims, each found on the last three full moons.”

The case was presented and the team headed to the bullpen after their unit chief's trademark phrase, “Wheels up in 30.” 

Emily texted JJ and Pam, before gathering her belongings. Once she was sure she had everything, she pulled the tablet out again. “Derek, what’s the address?”

“It’s not listed yet. I told him that I have a sure thing, he’s going to wait and list it after you see it.” 

She spun around quickly, startling him as she threw her arms around him, “I love you” 

Of course, that would be the moment their boss walked into the bullpen. Aaron cleared his throat, “Is there something I need to know?”

The team headed to the elevator together, Dave nodding at Aaron, “I believe based on your recent house hunting experiences, you may be declaring your undying love for Morgan as well.” 

Five days later, Emily called Derek, “I’m afraid Dave was right. Aaron is officially declaring his love for you.”

Derek could hear Aaron grumbling about ‘appreciation, not love’ over the line.

“Jack loves the backyard, he wants a treehouse. And JJ wants to turn the basement into party palace.” Emily continued.

“I think it will be perfect for you guys. Great location and it’s updated so not much work needs to be done.” He smiled, it really was the perfect house for partner and her family. 

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song is “Don’t Trust Me” by 3oh!3 and not appropriate for children… And it’s so ridiculous that I can’t help but laugh when I listen to it.


	23. Chapter 23

~~CM~~ 

The house hunt was officially over; their bid was accepted and they were scheduled to close in forty days. Emily began the arduous task of packing and trying to keep a clean house. 

While Aaron was a clean freak, his offspring was not. Jack left a trail of toys, clothes, books, snacks, and smudges everywhere he went. JJ didn’t leave her stuff around the house, however her side of the bedroom was an explosion of clothing, soccer gear, books, folders, and stuff in general. 

“Aaron, we are listing the townhouse tomorrow. We can’t afford two mortgages.” Frustrated, Emily was unloading the dishwasher as he washed pots and pans. “And we can’t show the house in this condition.” 

They were bumping elbows in the small kitchen. Aaron dried his hands as he finished the last pan, “Em, we will be fine for a few months. I promise.”

The dryer buzzed from the other room. He stepped around her and out of the kitchen, “I’ll move the laundry and be right back.”

Putting away the cookware, Emily glanced around. The kitchen and eat in area were in good shape. They could tackle rest of the downstairs before bed. She sighed as she picked up a tiny blue sock and a Lego minifigure of a stormtrooper. 

Aaron came around the corner carrying a white laundry basket, he asked, “Fold or clean up?”

Emily sat heavily on the couch, “Neither.”

Placing the basket on the coffee table, he sat down and placed his arm around her shoulder. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed, “It’s so much more work than I ever expected.”

“I know,” He murmured soothingly into her hair, “You can’t do it all.” 

Giving her a squeeze, he kissed her temple, “Em, we have to ask the kids to do more. Instead of catering to JJ’s laundry demands, let’s have her be in charge of it. And if Jack doesn’t clean up his toys, I think we need to take them away from him.”

“Was he this messy at your house?” Emily asked.

Nodding, Aaron gave her a sheepish grin, “Jess or I cleaned up after him. He’s little.” 

“A little spoiled, you mean,” She said tickling his side. 

“Just a little.” He admitted as he batted her hands away. 

~~CM~~ 

“What’s a family meeting?” Jack asked JJ from the floor of their shared bedroom, where he was creating a new game, Spiderman vs. T-Rex. 

She was sitting on her bed, thumbing through photos on her phone, “It’s when the parents want to tell the kids something they are doing wrong or something important, like getting a new house.” 

“But we are already getting a new house. I like the rock wall; I am going to climb it like Spiderman.”

JJ hummed and nodded, “Then the meeting means we are in trouble for something, wait. What? You can’t climb the fireplace wall.” 

Jack looked at her, his brown eyes opened wide in surprise, “Why not? It looks just like the rock wall at the playground?I know we can’t do it until we move. That’s when it’s ours.”

Dropping her phone on the bed, she slid down to sit next to Jack, “Little dude, that is not a real climbing wall. Those stones are for decoration. It’s not safe. Okay?” 

His bottom lip jutted out, but he agreed, “Okay.”

“We can still go on the climbing wall at the playground, I promise.” 

His mood brightened immediately, “I’ll wear my costume and bring my spray gloves. We can make webs all over the wall.” 

She couldn’t help but smile. Life is so simple when you are four, she thought. 

“JJ, are we in trouble then? Is that why we are having family meeting?”

“I don’t know, Little Dude. We’ll know after dinner.” 

~~CM~~ 

Sure enough, they were in trouble. JJ was not pleased. She had to do her own freaking laundry now. 

Tapping out an angry text, she filled in Maya and Pen: 

“Totally Jack’s fault. If he wasn’t so messy, Emily wouldn’t be tired all the time.”

Maya was first to reply back to the group text:

“Ya, I hafta clean up after Sara all the time. Big sister duty.”

Penelope was not sympathetic:

“Whatevs! I do laundry 4 bro’s fam & they have 3 kids. Plus I have to make dinner every night. It’s part of being family.”

JJ replied as she settled on her bed: 

“Damn It! Pen, U R right. I guess I’ve been spoiled.”

Pen wrote back “Still sux,” and Maya sent a smiley face. 

JJ closed her eyes and recalled her mom doing laundry for her and her sister, complaining about the sheer volume that two girls could produce. She smiled at the memory of her mom holding up a long red cape, “And how long did you actually wear this? 10 minutes?” 

She and Ros loved playing make believe, and their favorite was Little Red Riding Hood. Ros would wear her mother’s old ratty robe and hobble around pretending to be grandma/wolf while JJ skipped through the house in the red cape. 

A tear slipped down JJ’s cheek just as Emily knocked on her open door, “Oh JJ, are you okay? You don’t have to do laundry, I’m sorry.” 

Emily climbed on the bed next to her and pulled her into a hug, but JJ resisted, “Hold on, Emily. I’m not really crying.” 

Leaning back, Emily studied JJ’s face, and tenderly wiped a tear from her cheek, “These look like real tears to me.”

Smiling, JJ told her about her childhood memories, “And Ros always had the worst British accent. It was half British and half Pirate.” 

“Sounds like she was a wonderful sister.” 

“She was,” JJ nodded, “And you have been wonderful. I am sorry I pouted over laundry. It’s not a big deal.” 

Sighing heavily, Emily closed her eyes, “JJ, you know I am new to this whole parenting thing. I don’t know much about little ones or teenagers. I am trying to be fair to both of you. Pretty soon, we are going to be in a house much bigger than this, and we’ll all have to pull our weight.” 

“I know, and we haven’t been fair to you. Either of us.” JJ admitted, “I’ll help out more.”

They hugged as Jack barreled into the room, “I wanna hug, too!”

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say Hi on Tumblr:  
> <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	24. Chapter 24

~~CM~~ 

The team, minus Dave, helped them move into the new house. The older agent simply raised his bushy eyebrows at them, “They have movers nowadays. You give them money and they move your stuff.” 

JJ and her friends had packed up the kids’ room, putting Jack in charge of putting stickers on all the boxes. When moving day arrived, Jack stood with his color-coded clipboard and directed each person to the proper room. Derek and Aaron unloaded the large furniture items while Spencer arranged them. 

Emily and JJ tackled unpacking the kitchen, wiping down each cabinet before placing anything inside. Halfway through the day, Maya and Penelope arrived to help unpack and decorate JJ and Jack’s rooms. 

The large group worked hard throughout the day in exchange for pizza. At the end of the day, the guests had left the family with well wishes. JJ and Jack escaped to play soccer in the backyard leaving Emily and Aaron alone in the house. 

They stood in the entryway of their new home, hand in hand, smiling. The study was to the left of the front door, the formal living room to the right. A long hallway and stairs were in the middle, one leading to the back of the house, the stairs leading to the bedrooms. 

Aaron put his arm around her shoulders, and kissed her cheek, “Welcome home, Em.”

“I like the sound of that.” She sighed and tucked herself closer to him, “Home.”

“Alright, what is next? Showers? Dinner?” Aaron asked.

“How about you throw the lasagna in the oven while I take a shower? I’ll make a salad while you shower.” 

“Good plan.” 

~~CM~~ 

The aroma of the bubbling tomato sauce hit Emily as she started down the stairs. Inhaling deeply, she headed to the kitchen only to find it empty. She could hear Jack’s giggle from the backyard so Emily opened the sliding glass door and was met with an unexpected sight. 

The deck, the garden, and trees were lit up with fairy lights. JJ stood in the middle of the deck, carrying yellow tulips, Jack and Aaron were kneeling beside the teenager, both carrying black jewelry boxes. 

Jack spotted her and squealed excitedly. “Emily, will you marry us?” The little boy exclaimed. 

Aaron is looking at me as if I am the most beautiful woman in the world, she thought, and I’m in a ratty t-shirt and jeans. Breathless, she stepped forward and dropped to her knees in front the boys, JJ circled around and placed her hand on Emily’s shoulder.

“Emily Prentiss, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” Aaron’s voice cracked with emotion, “I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, with our family.” 

A tear slipped from her eye, as she leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips, “Yes, Aaron. Yes.”

“And me?” Jack asked, bouncing on his knees. 

Emily hugged the little boy, kissing his forehead, “Yes, Jack. I will marry all of you.” 

Jack shook his jewelry box at her, chanting “Open it. Open it. Open It.”

She found a locket inside, with a photograph of Jack on one side, and JJ on the other, “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

Aaron opened his ring box and presented her with a simply set diamond ring. The platinum band was unadorned, with a beautifully cut diamond resting on top. Tears fell from her eyes as Aaron slipped the band onto her finger. 

JJ laughed and helped Emily stand, handing her the tulips, “I’m so happy for you, Emily.”

“This is the happiest day of my life.” 

~~CM~~ 

Emily laid her head on Aaron’s chest in their bed. Their bed, she thought, in their room, in their house. His breathing was even, and she could hear his heartbeat thudding a steady rhythm. 

Sighing happily, she closed her eyes again and waited for sleep to claim her. But her mind was still racing, he had proposed. All of her dreams were coming true. She had a family, children, and now a fiance. She was getting married. 

Giving up on sleep, Emily went downstairs to the study and started looking at wedding dresses, venues, flowers, and cakes. Aaron found her at five in the morning, blurry eyed with twenty-two tabs open on her web browser. 

“Em? Were you up all night?”

Blinking at him, she groaned, “Oh god, it’s morning. I was just so excited about planning a wedding and I thought I would do a little research.” 

Aaron’s booming laughter echoed through their new home. 

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say Hi on Tumblr:   
> <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	25. Chapter 25

~~CM~~

“Oh Em, I am so happy for you,” Pam gushed, squishing Emily in a tight hug.

“I am freaking out. I started looking at wedding websites last night and I am so overwhelmed.”

Pam looked around the kitchen, “Where is your kettle?”

After sitting down with a cup of hot tea, Pam talked Emily off the ledge, asking her to close her eyes, “It’s your wedding day, tell me what you see.”

Relaxing back into her chair, Emily kept her eyes closed, “A field with flowers, a simple flowy dress, Aaron in a casual suit, no tie, JJ in a summer dress, Jack in a tiny little suit.”

“And the guests?”

“Just a handful of people, you, Jess, the BAU,”

Within a few minutes, Emily had her perfect wedding in mind and Pam was able to be smug, announcing she was the best maid of honor of all time.

JJ and Jack joined them in the kitchen as Pam was making a list. Jack wanted to try her tea and climbed into Emily’s lap.

JJ stood over Pam reading the list out loud over her shoulder:

  * Garden Wedding,
  * Small guest list, 20 people at most
  * Summer flowers - bright - Poppies and Posies?? No Roses
  * Long Flowy Dresses
  * Tan or Light Blue Suits
  * Smallish Round Tiered Cake
  * Catering - Summer salads (Arugula and Goat Cheese, Grilled Watermelon), Fresh Lemonades (Mint and Lavender), Lobster? Grilled Fish?



JJ said “Ewww” after Grilled Fish, with Jack echoing her causing the women to laugh.

“Fine, no fish.” Emily agreed.

“And no blue suits, I like the idea of tan jackets, with blue ties.” JJ continued as she pulled up photos of men in tan suits on her phone, “Oooh with a vest, or even open collar and no tie.”

Between JJ and Pam, Emily was confident she and Aaron would get the wedding they both wanted.

~~CM~~

Instead of wedding planning, it was birthday planning took over the blended family home. Jack was about to turn five and wanted to have a grand party. He narrowed it down to having a party at the park, a pool party, a pizza party, and an indoor trampoline party.

Jess was hands on for this and she quickly determined no one wanted to watch fifteen pre-schoolers attempt to drown each other. With the promise of Spiderman and pizza, Jess arranged for the party at a local indoor trampoline park. He could invite his friends from school and the soccer team without any fuss.

“You should be a party planner; give up your day job,” Emily said as she was learning at the feet of a strong mentor as she watched Jess make all the arrangements.

“It’s half of my job these days, planning business meetings.”

“Wanna be our wedding planner? Pam and I made a list but that is as far as we got,” embarrassed, Emily handed a crumpled paper to Jess, “I know most brides have a notebook or binder filled with notes and pictures.”

Jess smoothed out the paper, and reviewed it, “A small intimate wedding outdoors, that’s easy.” Then she laughed, “Getting Aaron to call his little brother on the other hand...”

“His relationship with his brother is similar to the one between my mother and I. A few phone calls throughout the year and call it good.” Emily leaned back, crossing her legs, “I promised him I would tell my mother if he told Sean. We have until the end of the week.”

Sipping her coffee, Jess raised an eyebrow at the timeline, “Call her now and get it over with. I’ll check dates for the botanic gardens; they have a perfect setting for you.”

“Fine,” Grumbled Emily and picked up her phone. Jess grabbed her own phone and left the room to give Emily privacy, “Hello Mother.”

“Emily, nice to hear from you, dear. Now, who died? Not you again I hope.” The Ambassador’s displeasure was still alive and going strong well over two years later.

“Very funny, Mother. I have good news.”

“Yes?”

Straight and to the point was the best method when her mother was in a mood, “Aaron and I are getting married.”

“You’ve had quite a year, fostering a delinquent teenager, selling and buying houses, and now you are getting married and becoming a stepmother.”

Sighing at the snotty voice on the phone, Emily put the phone down and drank her tea while her mother talked on and on about bad choices. Finally, her mother paused in her ranting and Emily picked up the phone again, “Yes, Mother, your opinions on my life choices have been noted. I will let you know when we chose a date for the wedding. I have to run, love you.”

When Jess returned to the kitchen, she noted Emily’s sour mood, “I think it’s time to switch to wine.”

~~CM~~

Aaron watched as JJ helped Jack do a backflip over on the trampolines. His friends were gathered around him, screeching and jumping, all waiting for their turns. Jess and Emily were setting the table with pizza, cupcakes, and drinks. The plates, napkins, and decorations all boasted Spiderman.

Happy, Aaron was happy. Last time he recalled being this happy was when Jack was born five years ago. He couldn’t believe this was his life. He was getting married to the most amazing woman. A woman who was quickly and devotedly becoming a mother to his son. He had a foster daughter now, one that he wanted to adopt to ensure that the state could never take her away from them. His sister in law was close to his family despite all of the challenges from the divorce then Haley’s death.

In fact, Jess was practically planning his wedding to Emily. And between Emily and Jess, they had twisted his arm until he called his irresponsible younger brother and told him he was getting married. Sean seemed sincere with his congratulations but waffled on the idea of taking time off to attend his older brother’s wedding two months away.

Professionally, he was happy as well. His team had solidified with the addition of Dr. Reid. The young agent fit in beautifully with Morgan and Emily, and looked to Dave as a father figure.

JJ was still flipping kids and laughing when Emily announced it was time for pizza and cupcakes.

He watched his family gather and he knew, he truly couldn’t be happier.

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say Hi on Tumblr:  
> <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	26. Chapter 26

~~CM~~ 

Between Jess and Pam, both Aaron and Emily felt comfortable traveling on cases, not having to worry about JJ and Jack at home. The two women often teamed up to care for the kids, dividing duties and splitting the nights so neither of them were overly taxed when the BAU was on a long case. They found themselves growing closer as friends, and the upcoming wedding cemented their relationship.

In a hotel room in Nebraska, Emily’s smile grew bigger as Jack’s face appeared on her computer screen. Fresh from the bath, his fair hair was damp, and his dimples on full display. He was telling her all about his day at junior kindergarten.

“JJ’s home!” Jack hollered as he scampered away. 

Jess stand down in the vacated chair, “Hi Emily, I have great news.” 

“Me too,” Pam’s voice chimed in off camera. 

Bouncing in her chair, Emily ordered them to tell her everything.

“Botanic Gardens are booked for May 22nd.” Jess announced.

An undignified squeak escaped before Emily clapped her hand over her mouth, “We have an official wedding date.” 

Pam added, “and my friend, the florist, said the flowers you like are peonies and we can use them both for the bouquets and the cake topper. She says it’s perfect for a colorful summery wedding.” 

“Now, let’s talk wedding dresses,” Jess smiled, her eyes bright with excitement. 

The trio of women discussed the wedding while JJ put Jack to bed, popping back on camera to say good night. By the time Emily climbed into bed, the current case with yet another evil unsub was far from her mind. 

When the unsub was caught in a shootout with police, Emily and Aaron were finally on their way home. They sat together on the plane, secluded from the rest of the team.

“Married on the 22nd? That won’t give us enough time to go through with the adoptions before the wedding.” Aaron said as he jotted down case notes.

“Stop working, Aaron.” Emily admonished him, “We haven’t discussed the idea of adoption with JJ anyway, so a little extra time won’t hurt.” 

Shrugging nonchalantly, Aaron asked, “What’s to discuss?”

~~CM~~ 

Aaron learned quickly that he was wrong. JJ had no intention of being adopted and stormed upstairs, the sound of her slamming bedroom door shut reverberating through the house. Emily gave him a quick hug and reached for her phone, “going to call Pam,” before bolting away. 

He stood in the middle of the kitchen trying to figure out how he could have underestimated the situation so badly. He could wait for Pam and Emily to figure out how it all went wrong or he could suck it up and talk to JJ directly. 

After making sure Jack was occupied with his television show, Aaron gritted his teeth and forced himself upstairs. Tapping quietly on JJ’s door, he wasn’t prepared for the sight of the teenager’s tear stained face. 

“Oh JJ, come here,” Aaron pulled the crying girl into his arms, patting her back gently. 

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed. 

Leading her to her bed, he sat down beside her, “JJ, please tell me what you are thinking? Why are you sorry?”

Grabbing tissues, she blotted at her face and sniffed, “I am sorry I am ungrateful but I want to stay Jennifer Jareau. I don’t want to change my name. I don’t want to lose my family but I am so thankful to you and Emily.” A sob escaped, “My real dad never wanted me or Ros. He signed away his rights so he wouldn’t have to do anything with us. And you guys want to adopt me and I am being difficult.” 

Emily edged her way into the room, dropping to her knees beside JJ’s legs. She reached up and wiped fresh tears from the teen’s face, “You can stay a Jareau. You won’t ever lose your mom or sister. We love you. So much. We just wanted to make sure you knew you were ours, so the state can never take you away, and...” 

Aaron interrupted Emily’s ramblings, “JJ, we are not asking you to change your name or think of us as replacement parents. We love you and we wish for you to remain as part of our family forever. We can still be Aaron and Emily, and you can be JJ. We just want to ensure your future is secure and that you have us no matter what the future brings.” 

“Really?” The blond asked, her face growing redder as she dabbed at it, “I can keep my name.”

“Really. Of course, you can. Your mother and sister will still be your mother and sister. You will just be adding to your family.” Emily said, “Did you know I am not changing my name after Aaron and I marry? I’m adopting Jack but I am not asking him to call me Mom. I’ll still be his Emily.” 

The three of them were hugging when Jack wandered in a few minutes later, “Why are you all crying?”

~~CM~~ 

Now that the final fitting was done, Emily was thrilled with her wedding dress. The simple off the shoulder dress was perfect for a garden wedding.

Pam smiled, clapping her hands, “You remind me of a Greek Goddess, strong and feminine.”

With the invitations and dress checked off the list, Emily now needed to find suits for the men, Aaron, Jack, and Dave. Sean Hotchner declined to be a groomsman, citing he couldn’t get time off from work to attend his only brother’s wedding. She had a feeling that this snub along with Sean avoiding Haley’s funeral pushed Aaron over the edge. Emily would no longer encourage him to reach out and stay in touch with his younger brother. 

“What’s left?” She asked Pam, flipping through the binder Jess had put together, “Oh God, there is still so much. Cake, Menu, Suits, Bridesmaid Dresses, and Flowers.” 

Pam reminded her that they had back to back appointments with the bakery and the florist tomorrow morning, barring any cases. 

Next, they arrived a nearby boutique for JJ and Pam’s dresses, Emily grimaced as they looked around. The dresses were too fancy for their simple wedding. Grumbling, they drove to the mall, ending up in a department store for the suits. 

Pam’s keen eye found the tan suits with vests in no time; both in child and adult sizes. Emily purchased the suits and planned on dropping them off at the tailor so the men could get them fitted. 

As they cut back through the store, Emily spotted a section filled with summer dresses. A helpful saleswoman pulled a few gowns that she thought would be perfect for both a teenager and an adult. 

A few texts later, Penelope, Maya, and JJ were on their way to the mall. 

“The purple makes your eyes look violet.” Penelope declared, “but the length is all wrong.”

JJ headed back to the dressing room, as Pam came out in a strapless floral dress. 

“You look amazing!” Emily told her best friend, but Penelope shook her head at the adults. 

“But it doesn’t work with your wedding dress,” Penelope said as if she was suffering. 

Maya held up a blue dress, the fabric shimmery and the waist covered in beads. It was reminiscent of Emily’s wedding dress. 

Pam and JJ tried on the dress and received a thumbs up from everyone including the saleswoman. 

Emily was pleased to cross dresses off her wedding to do list.

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanna chat? I'm over on Tumblr: <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	27. Chapter 27

~~CM~~ 

Their wedding day had finally arrived, and Aaron was quietly excited. He climbed out of bed, trying not to wake Emily. They had slept together, ignoring the tradition of staying apart the night before. He gazed down at her, her face soft in sleep with her dark hair piled high on the pillow. She was going to be his wife today.

Padding down to the kitchen, he prepared breakfast for his family. As Aaron finished mixing the batter, Jack joined him, wrapping his arms around his dad’s legs. 

“Good morning, Buddy!”

“We are getting married today.” Jack declared as he snuck a sausage from the plate on the counter.

“Yes, we are.” 

Within minutes, JJ and Emily were stumbling into the kitchen half asleep. Aaron poured a cup of coffee for Emily and Jack passed the orange juice carton to JJ. 

The five year old was unimpressed with their morning grunts, “Emily! JJ! We are getting married today!” 

Emily scooped him up into a hug, peppering his face with kisses, “Yes, we are and I can’t wait.” 

The family reviewed the plan for the day during breakfast and broke into two groups. Aaron and Jack would remain at home and Dave would join them until it was time for the ceremony. Emily and JJ were meeting Pam at the salon, then heading over the to botanic gardens. 

“Doesn’t sound complicated at all,” Aaron remarked. 

Laughing, Emily reminded him of the work going on behind the scenes, “Jess is handling the venue, catering, cake, and flowers. She is a superhero!” 

“Maya and Penelope are going over early to help her,” JJ added. 

Within the hour, the women had left and Dave had arrived with cigars.

“Here Jack, have a cigar.” Dave joked with the five year old as he handed him a chocolate cigar. 

Rolling his eyes at Dave, Aaron asked Jack to hold off on eating the cigar, “Let’s wait until after the ceremony.” 

~~CM~~

Emily’s nails were perfect and her long dark hair swept into an elegant updo with a hair ornament that matched the beading on her wedding dress. The makeup artist was putting the finishing touches, giving her a summery glow. 

“You look lovely,” JJ dabbed at her eyes carefully as not to ruin her wet manicure.

Pam agreed, carefully hugging Emily, “Just lovely.” 

Taking the camera from Pam, Emily took a few photos as the makeup artist worked on JJ’s eyeshadow, and the hairdresser pinned Pam’s hair up. 

“I still can’t believe I am getting married,” Emily confessed, “to Aaron Hotchner.” 

Pam snickered, “You’ve been pining for him since I met you.”

Soon, they were ready to go. JJ couldn’t help but laugh at their casual outfits and flip-flops while in full makeup. Pam drove them to the botanic gardens where Maya was waiting for them outside. 

“I’ll show you to your dressing room,” the teenage girl told them, before lowering her voice, “and be prepared for Hurricane Penelope.”

“She was bad at the talent show,” remembered JJ.

“Surely, she can’t be that bad,” Pam laughed before she caught a look from Emily. 

Maya ushered them through the building and down the corridors to a dressing room with comfortable couches and full length mirrors. Along the far wall, an open closet showcased three dresses, Emily’s wedding gown in the middle. 

Within minutes, Jess arrived with her clipboard. She kissed Emily on the cheek and greeted Pam and JJ. “Everything is on track except for the reception room. Penelope is rearranging the centerpieces and inspecting the china.” 

The women burst into laughter, and JJ picked up her phone. Sounding breathless, JJ pleaded for assistance, “Pen! Thank God you answered. I have no idea how to get into my dress without ruining my hair.” 

Jess and Maya excused themselves to check on the wedding cake. Pam hurriedly donned her blue gown with Emily zipping her up in the back. Twirling in front of the mirror, she smiled at her reflection. 

“You look wonderful, Pam,” Emily said to her friend’s retreating back as she scurried out of the room.

Crossing her arms, JJ sniffed, “I thought Pam was fearless. She took on my math tutor and fired her like it was nothing.”

Emily shrugged, “We are talking about Penelope, JJ. No one is fearless in this situation.” 

As Emily finished speaking, the door flew open and Penelope appeared. She was in a bright floral dress, her bright blonde hair matching her new yellow glasses. Clapping her hands to her mouth, excited squeals still managed to escape.

“Oh my God! Snow White, how in the world do you look perfect in sweatpants? And my sweet, sweet, JJ, you could be a model for those overpriced trendy stores in the mall. You know, the ones who cater to rich white girls?” She swept the room with her eyes, and her hands flew out in frustration, “Where is your Maid of Honor? She should be here catering to your every need. Do you need some water? Are you hungry? I can grab a snack for you from the kitchen downstairs.”

JJ and Emily watched as she crossed the room as she prattled on, pouring them two glasses of water.

“Here, drink up. You need to be hydrated. Do you want a snack? The caterers are so nice, I can run down and make you a plate.” 

“Penelope, sweetheart,” Emily held the teenager in place, her hands on the girls’ upper arms. “Can you please take a breath and sit down?”

JJ eased the two cups from her friend’s hands and placed them on the table, “Everything is ready. All we have to do is relax for the next hour, okay?”

“But the centerpieces…” 

Emily guided Penelope to a chair, “the centerpieces are fine.” 

After several minutes of sitting quietly, JJ eased them into a conversation while Emily called Pam, Jess, and Maya to rejoin them. 

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am having too much fun with teenage Penelope!


	28. Chapter 28

~~CM~~

Aaron stood at the altar; Dave and Jack at his side. He glanced around the room, taking in the tasteful decorations and their handful of guests seated patiently waiting for the ceremony to begin. He nervously slid his hand against his pocket, feeling the outline of the ring. Jack turned his head, giving him a sweet smile; Aaron squeezed his son’s shoulder gently in reply. 

On the other side of the room, Pam and JJ appeared as the music started. They carefully made their way up the white runner until they joined them at the altar. Aaron held out his hand to JJ, leaning in to tell her that she looked beautiful. He stepped back as the teenager blushed. 

The music swelled and they all turned as Emily stepped into the entryway. He felt his breath hitch as his future wife walked towards him in an elegant gown. The white dress left one of her shoulders bare as it flowed down, floating around her as she walked. 

Time seemed to stop when she finally reached his side. Holding her hands in his, Aaron couldn’t take his eyes off of hers. Long lashes framing her big brown eyes, he felt as if he could drown in them. 

“Em,” Aaron started but his throat constricted, “Emily, you look so beautiful.” 

Her hand came up and cupped his face, sliding down until she was barely touching his jaw. Leaning in, Aaron kissed her mouth; ignoring the twitters of the guests. 

The sound of a throat clearing brought both of them back from their intimate moment; Aaron was surprised that the sound hadn’t come from Dave but rather the impassive judge standing in front of them. 

The judge guided them through the simple ceremony, then stepped back to give them space to share their vows. 

Aaron didn’t know what to expect from Emily as she hadn’t indicated any struggles with writing her own vows while he had a few sleepless nights trying to find the right words. 

Smiling brightly, Emily untucked a small paper from her bouquet before passing the colorful flowers to Pam. She took in a breath and started reciting her vows without looking down at her handwritten note.

“Aaron, I take you to be my partner for life. I promise above all else to live in truth with you.  
And to communicate fully and fearlessly.”

Pausing, she took a fortifying breath, “I give you my hand and my heart as a sanctuary of warmth and peace. And I pledge to you, my love, devotion, faith, and honor as I join my life to yours."

Overwhelmed, Aaron felt his eyes prickle as tears fought to escape. He cleared his throat and tried to smile at her but it came out a grimace. Emily’s hand was on his cheek again, and he leaned into her touch. 

As if he had drawn strength from her touch, Aaron felt like he was ready. Nodding briskly, he blinked the tears away and took her hands in his. 

“Emily, I pledge to you, my love, for as long as I live. I will keep you and hold you, comfort and tend you, protect you and shelter you, for all the days of my life. I promise to join our families in a household filled with laughter, patience, understanding, and love. I vow not just to grow old together, but to grow together. I will love you faithfully through the difficult and the easy. What may come, I will always be there, believing that love never dies. As I have given you my hand to hold, so I give you my life to keep.”

Breathless, Emily cried silently as he was speaking and Aaron found himself with tears in his eyes again as he finished. Stepping close together, he cradled her face in his hands, touching his forehead to hers. 

A sob threatened to escape as Aaron felt his jacket being tugged. Looking down, Jack was pulling on his coat as he stage-whispered, “Is it time for the ring?”

Laughing, Emily stepped back as JJ passed her a handkerchief. She dabbed at her eyes, while Aaron used the back of his hand to wipe away his own tears. 

The judge took over the ceremony, asking them to exchange rings before announcing, “You may now kiss the bride.” 

As their family and friends cheered them on, Aaron and Emily kissed for the first time as husband and wife. 

~~CM~~

Emily held Aaron’s hand as they walked down the runner away from the altar, with JJ and Jack following them. Pam and Dave moved to the front row of the seats, Dave graciously offering his arm to Ambassador Prentiss, leading her to the beginning of the receiving line. 

“Thank you for coming, Mother.” Emily felt Aaron’s arm tighten around her shoulders, offering his silent support. 

“Ambassador,” Aaron said as he kissed his mother in law’s cheek.

“You may call me Elizabeth,” she said primly before greeting JJ and Jack.

Emily was impressed with her mother’s behavior for the remainder of the wedding reception. Elizabeth Prentiss put aside her personal feelings and pulled out her Ambassador act. 

No one would have ever thought that she harbored any disapproval of Jack and JJ because they were not blood relatives. No one could guess that she thought it was in bad taste to invite Jess, who belonged to Aaron’s dead ex-wife. Instead, Ambassador Prentiss was the life of the party. She was engaging with the guests and was courteous to the waitstaff.

Working hard not to roll her eyes, Emily decided to ignore her mother’s antics and enjoy her wedding day. 

The volume of music lowered as Jess spoke the microphone, “Friends and family, I would like to call Aaron and Emily for their first dance as husband and wife.” 

The sounds of Etta James’ At Last filled the room as Aaron took her into his arms. Emily felt the tears rise up again as they swayed to the music. 

“I’ve never cried so much in my life,” she confessed, tucking her face into his broad chest. 

Aaron kissed her head as he sang along to James’ soulful voice, “For you are mine, at last.” 

As their song ended and a new one began, they were surrounded by their guests dancing. Emily watched as Dave and her mother joined in an elegant dance, “We should get him a nice bottle of scotch for handling my mother.”

Tilting his head, Aaron observed them, “Or he could be vying to become your stepfather.”

“Bite your tongue,” Emily chided her new husband. 

Separating, Emily danced with Jack as Aaron took JJ around the dance floor. 

Stepping away, Emily was grateful for the glass of water Maya handed her. They stood side by side as they watched Aaron dancing with Jess as Derek spun Pam all over the floor. Glancing around, she found JJ and Penelope whispering furiously, JJ blushing suspiciously. 

“Maya, what do the girls have planned?” Emily raised her eyebrow at the teenager. 

Giggling behind her hand, Maya was too happy to rat out her friends, “JJ is going to ask Dr. Spencer Reid to dance while Penelope is determined to dance with ‘tall, dark, and handsome’.”

“Oh lord,” Emily shook her head, “Maybe we should cut the cake instead.” 

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI the vows came from two websites, TheKnot.com and apracticalwedding.com, because apparently, I cannot write vows. I struggled for several months before breaking down and stealing vows.


	29. Chapter 29

~~CM~~

Emily enjoyed the little town they stayed in for their honeymoon so much that she was trying to convince Aaron that they needed to buy a vacation home near Cape Cod, Massachusetts, “Think about it, a little cottage with a dock. We could get a boat.”

Working hard not to roll his eyes at her, Aaron reminded her that they had children, children that needed a college education.

Emily reached across the car to hold his hand, “I know you are right but I like the idea of a vacationing there. Teaching JJ and Jack to sail, walking into town for ice cream, and having a clambake. We could go for a few weeks during the summer and sneak away for long weekends.”

“There is no way Strauss will ever give us time off again,” Aaron lamented, “I am still in shock Dave convinced her to put our team on stand down for a week.”

Grumbling, Emily agreed with her husband, “it’s a nice fantasy.”

Rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand, Aaron smiled, “Maybe Strauss will retire.”

Arriving at home, Aaron was surprised that JJ joined Jack running into the garage to greet them. He had Jack in his lap before he had the opportunity to unbuckle his seatbelt.

They followed their chattering kids into the house, finding both Pam and Jess preparing dinner in the kitchen.

Jess kissed them both on the cheek and offered them a glass of wine, “No, Jack. You can’t have milk in a wine glass.”

Pouting, Jack muttered under his breath, “I only spilled a little last time.”

Jack filled them in on his week while settled in his dad’s lap. The five year old rubbed his face into Aaron’s chest as his father carded his hand through his son’s hair.

Over dinner, Emily caught up with JJ, hearing all about Penelope’s antics and Maya’s upcoming graduation. She noticed a covert glance between Jess and JJ and made a mental note to check in when they had more privacy.

Pam headed out first, reminding Jack that they had a movie date to see a new animated film and she passed JJ a paperback book from her large handbag.

As Jess made motions to leave, she reminded Jack to show Emily and Aaron his school project. When Jack scampered up the stairs to find it, Jess quietly handed Aaron two letters from the courthouse.They finally had a court date for the adoptions.

Blinking away tears, she kissed his cheek and hugged Emily tightly, “I know we talked about this before you even applied but I just want to say it again. I am positive that Haley would approve of Emily adopting Jack. She will always be his mother but she would want him to have another person to love and care for him as a mother would.”

Turning around, Jess pulled JJ into her arms, “You are truly blessed to have Emily and Aaron as your family.” She pushed JJ’s blond hair behind her ears and caressed her cheek, “And they are blessed to have you in their lives.”

With a hiccuping sob, Jess stepped out of the house with Aaron following closely behind her.

Still stunned by the unexpected emotional scene, Emily faltered before reaching her hand out to JJ, “She’s right, you know. I am so thankful that you came into my life and somehow you turned us all into a family, JJ.”

A few minutes later, Jack thundered down the stairs with his poster about zoo animals to find his father, Emily, and JJ, crying and hugging.

“You guys cry a lot,” Jack declared as he wormed his way into their embrace.

~~CM~~

JJ tugged at her skirt, willing it to reach her knees, as she and Jack entered the judge’s chambers. Apparently, she had gotten taller in the last few months and her skirt seemed too short for such an important occasion.

Emily and Aaron were waiting in the long hallway so Jack leaned on her as they stood before the judge’s desk.

“Please, have a seat,” Judge Chang gestured towards the chairs.

Jack clambered on the chair, flipping around until he was sitting properly. JJ sat next to him, twisting her hands in her lap.

“My name is Judge Chang. Do you know why you are here today, Jack?”

Nodding enthusiastically, Jack smiled at the judge, “To make Emily my other mom. I have two moms now. My real mom died and now I get another mom to love me but I still love my real mom. Aunt Jess says my real mom wants me to have lots of people to love me and take care of me so it’s okay that Emily becomes my other mom. And you know what? I don’t even have to call her Mom, I can still call her Emily.”

The judged nodded along as Jack continued.

“And JJ gets to be my sister. She’s getting adopted too, and she will have two moms like me. And she gets a dad. My dad is the best. Do you think my mom and JJ’s mom know each other in heaven?”

“I don’t know, Jack. Do you think they know each other?”

Bouncing in his seat, Jack answered excitedly, “Yes! Because they are watching over us and me and JJ are together all the time. We don’t share a room anymore but we play soccer and Spiderman all the time.”

Trying to stifle a laugh, JJ covered her mouth but a snort escaped and the judge turned his attention to her.

“Jennifer, you prefer JJ?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And do you know why you are here today?”

She smoothed her hands across her legs, removing any wrinkles in the fabric of her skirt, “Emily and Aaron have offered to adopt me,” pausing, she looked up from her lap and met the judge’s eyes, “Emily took me in as a foster kid, she gave me a home and introduced me to Jack and Aaron. We are a family now and I want to make it official.”

“Wonderful, thank you both for speaking with me today.” The judge stood and walked around his desk to the door, “Aaron, Emily, you may join us now.”

Jack scrambled out of his chair and into Emily’s arms as the group headed for the conference table, “Emily, I tolded the judge that I want to you adopt me and be my other mother. And that JJ is going to be my sister.”

“You did?” Emily kissed his head as she exchanged smiles with JJ.

“And I think that JJ’s mom and my mom are friends in heaven.” Jack reached out his arms to Aaron and climbed into his lap as they all sat down.

Judge Chang opened a plain manila folder and spread out documents in front of himself. Everyone quieted down and looked at the judge.

“I have a petition for adoption for the minor child, Jennifer Anne Jareau, by Aaron Hotchner and Emily Prentiss. The minor child is a ward of the state of Virginia, currently in the custody of the petitioners. The minor’s caseworker, Julianna Campbell, has submitted documentation supporting the adoption. I also have several letters of recommendation from Pam Larsen, David Rossi, and Ambassador Prentiss.”

Aaron and Emily exchanged a look, neither were aware that Emily’s mother had known the adoption dates yet alone was willing to recommend them.

“After speaking to the minor child, I am approving this adoption.” The judge signed a document and pushed it across the table for Aaron to sign.

Shifting Jack on his lap, Aaron leaned forward and signed his name then pushing the paper to Emily. She signed it with a flourish as the judge congratulated JJ.

Overcome with emotion, Emily stood up and pulled JJ into a tight embrace, “Oh JJ!”

Standing with Jack in his arms, Aaron enveloped them in a hug with Jack hollering, “Family Hug!”

After a minute, the family broke apart and returned to their seats.

The judge had closed one folder, and opened another, “Now, for the adoption petition for Jack Brooks Hotchner by Emily Prentiss.”

“That’s me!” Jack exclaimed, “Dad I am gonna get adopted like JJ.”

Squeezing Emily’s hand, Aaron smiled at his son, “Yes, you are.”

After signing the paperwork to finalize Jack’s adoption, the family regrouped into another family hug. This time Emily, Aaron, and JJ were all crying.

“My family cries a lot,” Jack informed the judge, “and they aren’t even hurt.”

Wiping her tears with her hands, Emily smiled at the judge, “Thank you for your help. I finally have the family I have dreamed of for my whole life.”

~~CM~~

~~ The End ~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to give Emily the family she desired. The epilogue will be up soon. 
> 
> Some readers suggested that “something” should happen prior to the adoption of JJ such as an unsub kidnapping or her birth father coming back into the picture. I chose not to do this in this story as it was important to me to give Emily, Aaron, JJ, and Jack closure after the trauma in their lives. When the story began, Emily had just come back after the whole Doyle thing, Jack and Aaron were recovering from the loss of Haley, and my non-canon JJ has lost her sister then her mother. I wanted to write a story without extra angst or drama, just day to day stuff. 
> 
> Also, I do not know how the actual adoption process goes so if there is a glaring error, please let me know and I will be happy to correct. 
> 
> And how did you like the Ambassador sneaking in a letter of recommendation? She may not approve of anything her daughter does but she will support her. It’s a complicated relationship.
> 
>  


	30. Chapter 30

~~CM~~

JJ tried unsuccessfully to hold back a giggle as she watched Emily from the window of her apartment. Her adopted mother stormed across the parking lot to her car before peeling out of the parking lot.

“That wasn’t very nice,” Maya told her roommate.

“I know but they won’t get mad at Dave,” JJ said, “and I had to tell her otherwise she would have found out at graduation tomorrow.” 

Shrugging, Maya continued waiting for the countdown clock to reach zero so she could buy concert tickets on her laptop, “You could have told her that it wasn’t just Dave’s idea. That you have been working on this for months.”

“Look at those seats, 15th row!” JJ pointed at the screen over Maya’s shoulder, “Then they would be mad at me for keeping this from them.”

The young women lost focus on JJ’s career choices as they bought concert tickets. 

“It’s almost three,” JJ check her watch, “we need to head to the airport to pick up Penelope.”

~~CM~~

Frustrated, Emily called her husband as soon as she was in her car, “Aaron, call me back.” Grumbling about getting his voicemail, she pulled out into traffic and headed home. 

Her phone rang as she rounded the corner to their street, “Are you home?”

“Yes, are you okay?” 

“Let’s just say I need a drink!”

Entering the house, Aaron called her name from the kitchen. She found him pouring her a generous glass of merlot. 

“Pour a glass for yourself,” she told him before downing half her glass, “you know how JJ has interviews lined up for after graduation?”

Aaron joined her at the kitchen table, sipping his wine. 

“Dave guaranteed her a position at the bureau.” 

Choking, Aaron sputtered then coughed, “I’m sorry, what?”

“Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi had the Federal Bureau of Investigation create a position for JJ in Criminal Investigative Division, most likely she will be assigned to Violent Crimes.” Emily drained the rest of her glass, “he told her that she didn’t want to work for the State Department or Norfolk PD.” 

Draining his own glass, Aaron rubbed his temples, “this is worse when he arrested her boyfriend for obstructing justice just cause the kid refused a polygraph.” 

“We should have never let her intern as his publicist.” Emily refilled their glasses and returned to the table, “Nothing good comes from their friendship.”

Resigned, Aaron swirled the red wine around in the glass, “She’s 22, Em, with a double degree in Criminal Psychology and Mass Communications. We knew she would go into some type of law enforcement agency.”

Emily wanted to bang her head against the table, “I know but I wanted her to do it on her own, make her own path.”

“I don’t think the assistant director would have a position created for someone who didn’t deserve it. JJ has been in and out of his office for years and she had him review her thesis. AD Jameson knows her well.” 

“You’re right,” Emily admitted, “I guess we might as well as prepare ourselves for Jack joining the Bureau as well.” 

“Bite your tongue,” Aaron admonished her. 

~~CM~~

“Dad, Emily, I want to get a guitar,” Jack announced at dinner. 

“A guitar?” Aaron stared at his twelve year old son, his brow furrowing, “hmmm, you have never shown an interest in music before.”

Jack shrugged and dug into his dinner, mumbling “it’s cool,” with a full mouth.

Glancing at Emily, Aaron could tell she was already thinking of what type of guitar to get him. 

“Do you have to take piano lessons first?” Aaron scratched his head, “Don’t you need to learn to read music?”

“I don’t need piano lessons. I can figure it out by myself.”

Chuckling at the boys, Emily joined the conversation, “Piano lessons and being able to read music help tremendously but you can learn to play guitar without it. Do you want to play acoustic or electric? 

Jack fiddled with his phone and send them a link to a $2,000 Les Paul electric guitar in electric blue. The quiet family dinner quickly turned into a fight between father and son.

“If I may interrupt your highly impassioned arguments, I may have a solution.” Emily cleared her plate and started putting leftovers in the fridge. 

Dumbfounded, Aaron scrubbed his hands over his face. He had no idea why he and Jack kept arguing over everything, “Sorry, Jack. I didn’t mean to get bent out of shape over this.” 

Jack cleared his plate, debating his next step. His desire for a guitar over-rode his need to escape to his bedroom, “Sorry Dad, Emily.”

“The price of that guitar is too much to invest as you don’t know if you will love playing this instrument,” Emily started.

“But I will!” 

Emily held up her hand and continued, “We can get a beginner guitar that still looks good, and if you take lessons for a year, we can split the cost of an expensive guitar. You pay for half and we pay for half.”

Nodding along, Aaron liked the idea of lessons and financial responsibility. 

Jack also seemed to like the idea but he grumbled about having to save up a thousand dollars, “I am not old enough to get a job.”

“Mrs. Hernandez pays you to watch her cat when she goes out of town and you get a lot of money for your birthday and Christmas.” Aaron reminded him. 

“That’s for video games,” Jack muttered indignantly.

Crossing the kitchen, Emily pushed Jack’s hair out of the way of his eyes, “Well, that will be up to you. Maybe you will love the guitar more than video games or maybe you will like your beginner guitar. We can cross that road a year from now.”

Jack leaned into her, allowing her to hold him. “I will do lessons, can we look at guitars this weekend?”

Stepping up, Aaron placed his hand on Jack’s shoulder, “Yes, we will look into lessons and get a guitar this weekend.” 

~~CM~~

Emily rubbed lotion in her hands before applying it to her elbows, “Jack’s attitude got to you, again.”

Toeing off his slippers, Aaron climbed into bed next to her, “Why do I get drawn into nonsensical arguments with him? He does it to make me crazy.”

“Mmm hmm.”

“And he won’t let me hug him,” Aaron complained.

“He won’t let me hug him, either.” 

Rolling his eyes, Aaron huffed as he rolled over to face her, “Jack let you cuddle him in the kitchen earlier.”

Biting her lip, Emily reached out and traced his face before kissing him, “He’s almost a teenager, he is trying to figure himself out.”

“He’s only twelve! And guitars? Where did that come from?” Aaron pulled her close, “He has schoolwork and soccer is more demanding now that’s he’s on the competitive team. He will not have any downtime.” 

Emily ran her hands along his flank then slipped them under his shirt, “He’ll be fine, Aaron.”

“Are you trying to distract me, Em?”

One kiss led to another and the conversation was forgotten. 

The next morning, Emily started breakfast while Aaron woke Jack up. The family rushed through scrambled eggs, showers, and dressing in order to get to JJ’s graduation early enough to find a parking space.

“This is going to be so boring,” Jack informed his parents.

Emily flipped through the program, “Yup, especially with Senator Keys giving the commencement speech.” Leaning over Jack, she pointed to the stairs, “Look, here comes Rossi.”

“Uncle Dave!” Jack leaped from his seat and hugged Dave.

Noting the lack of a handshake from Aaron and the hug from Emily, Dave laughed, “I guess JJ finally told you? She’s been meeting with Jameson for a year now, you had to know they were plotting something.”

Quirking his eyebrow, Aaron turned to Emily, “Dave didn’t plan this; this was all JJ!”

Groaning, Emily covered her face, “she played us and we didn’t see it.”

“Are you guys mad at JJ?” Jack asked. Aaron explained the situation and Jack shrugged, “she told me that she was going to work for the FBI like last year. She just can’t work for the BAU since you guys already do.”

Aaron dropped his face into his hands while Emily’s mouth hung open in an undignified manner.

~~CM~~

After the ceremony ended, the family fought their way through the masses of graduates and their loved ones to find JJ. After hugging her, they decided to it would be easier to regroup at lunch. JJ put her graduation cap on Jack and waved them off as she headed to her apartment to pick up Maya and Penelope.

Emily followed Jack into the restaurant as Aaron waited for Dave finish parking. 

“Hello, we have a reservation under Prentiss for seven.”

The hostess reviewed her tablet before ushering them to a large table in the corner of the dining area. Aaron and Dave joined them, the latter ordering a bottle of cabernet as they waited for the college graduate and her friends to arrive. 

High pitched squeals rang out as Penelope rushed towards Emily, “Oh Snow White, you get more beautiful each time I see you.”

She hugged Emily before lining up Jack to measure heights, “I’ll bet you’ll be taller than me by next year, Jackster.”

Maya and JJ sat down as Penelope continued her greetings. She hugged Aaron tight, calling him ‘Agent Frowny Face’ before turning to Dave, “My Italian Stallion, you are a god amongst mere mortals.”

“You got the job, then?” Dave asked as their server poured wine for everyone but Jack. 

“Sir, you give the best references,” Penelope grinned, “I start at the end of August which gives me time to pack up my itty bitty studio in Cali. And that gives Maya and JJ enough time to find us a three bedroom house to share. ”

The group discussed JJ’s graduation and Penelope’s recent graduation from Cal Tech along with her new job in DC. Aaron asked Maya about her job but they were interrupted as Penelope informed everyone that Maya just had her a stellar performance review but only received a 2% raise, “That doesn’t even cover the cost of living increases.”

Emily smiled indulgently, not much had changed since JJ was in high school. JJ and Maya still let Penelope talk over them. Emily wondered how long they could be roommates without the girls, sorry young women, she corrected herself, before fighting.

Maya quietly drew Jack into a side conversation about their upcoming trip to Cape Cod. 

“I helped Emily pick out the house, it’s really close to the beach. There is a bunk room and a guest room so everyone can stay. Aunt Jess and Pam are coming up too so I am going to sleep in the sunroom. It’s almost like sleeping outside.”

Aaron smiled across the table at Emily, mouthing, “Are you happy?”

Nodding at her husband, she looked around her family and friends, “I am happy.” 

~~CM~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there is it ~ the conclusion of our story… Thank you again for reading. 
> 
> I may do a future shot set in another six years but I am still noodling around with ideas including rebellious Jack, romance for JJ, and Penelope joining the BAU…
> 
> Come say Hi on Tumblr: <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


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